GIVE FROZEN PIPES THE COLD SHOULDER

摘要

Anthony Barnett, technical marketing manager at Armacell, looks at where frozen pipes most commonly occur and offers advice on how they can be avoided."Freezing conditions during winter bring a number of property maintenance issues and one of the most common is the damage that can be caused by frozen cold water pipes. When a pipe freezes it is at high risk of bursting, which if it does, will only become evident when the ice melts and the water begins to flow.Freezing can occur in plastic, copper and steel pipes and is usually due to the combination of sustained cold and sub-zero ambient temperatures and standing water within the pipeline. It is possible for freezing to take place in a matter of hours, therefore it is likely that any damage that occurs will happen during the night. In addition, if a property is left for an extended duration, such as holidays or over a period of closure, like the Christmas shutdown, the dangers are exacerbated.