Insulating Pipes – don’t lag behind
Burst Pipe, why wait until winter?Do you have uninsulated pipes exposed to unheated areas such as in loft spaces, garages and outhouses? Why wait until the depths of winter when they may burst?
A burst pipe in the winter can cause endless damage, especially if they are in loft areas, water will only come down through the ceiling! If your loft is insulated, but your pipes are not, the loft space becomes freezing in the winter, as all the heat is being kept in the house. There is potentially no warm air rising at all into the loft.
A simple measure you can take is to purchase some pipe insulation from your local diy supplier, and wrap it around the vulnerable pipework, helping to minimise the chance of damage.
When purchasing lagging, there are two main sizes of pipework, the smaller being 15mm, and the larger being 22mm. Some old school call it 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch. You may even have 28mm (1 inch) diameter pipes!
There are different thickness of lagging, it is advisable to get the thickest you can to go around the the pipes, especially in cold exposed areas. If the pipes are clipped, this may limit you in the thickness of lagging you can use. And remember to completely cover the pipe, as the frost can make even the smallest of uncovered pipes burst!
Things you may need
