With the cold spell still upon us we will do everything in our power to keep warm in the cold weather. However did you ever think of the under lying problems that you could face with your plumbing due to the freezing temperatures?

Over the past few years the weather has become colder and colder in the winter meaning more expenses being paid out to plumbers and electricians for burst pipes and damaged electrical wires.

There are many things that we can do to reduce the chances of burst pipes and these tips will require you spending very little money and very little time.

The first thing that you can do is keep your digital room thermostat at a steady temperature both during the day and at night. If you aren’t going to be at home all day you can install a heating timer so that the heating will come on for short bursts at different times in the day. The reason for keeping your heating on is to keep the water flowing through the pipes to stop them from seizing up. If you are concerned about costs all you have to do is turn your thermostat down by as little as one degree and it has been proven to save you money on your electricity bill. It is better to pay these small costs rather than pay thousands of pounds on a new plumbing system.

While your home is warm you should open up your cupboards especially the ones with plumbing work behind it. The reason it is advised to do this is because it allows the warm air to reach these pipes and to keep the water inside the pipes at a warm temperature so they won’t freeze.

Many homes however have a lot of plumbing works outside so in this situation it would be best to keep the doors shut tight so that the cold wind cannot get direct access to the pipes as they are more than likely to freeze. To combat this problem many people tend to put an old rug or thick blanket below their garage door to stop draughts from getting in so it would provide some extra insulation. Others tend to use a frost protection heater or a storage heater to provide a supply of heat directly to their outside sheds or garages as they often don't have radiators.