Is snow problematic for your home?
Snow falls, on average, for five1 days in December, 7.6 days in January, 6.8 days in February and six days in March.
Besides sending our public transport system in to panic mode, snow can cause complications at home too, so we’ve put together a short list of the potential problems to keep an eye out for this winter.
Frozen pipes
A staggering 374, 0002 claims for damages caused to home by frozen pipes were filed last year alone.
As a preventative measure, identify the areas that are exposed to icy temperatures and insulate them. To do this, simply cut a piece of foam insulation to size and clip it on.
It’s a good idea to keep your central heating ticking over too, even at a very low temperature, as this will help prevent the water in the pipes from freezing.
If the worst does happen, the first thing you’ll need to do is switch off your stop tap, which is usually located under the kitchen sink, but can also be found in a basement, garage or outbuilding. It’s important to call a professional plumber immediately, as ignored burst pipes can lead to bigger and costlier problems.
Frosty vents
Plumbing vents must be kept snow-free to permit proper air flow, so make sure the area is cleared following heavy snowfall and don’t allow vents to be covered for too long.
Of course, snow isn’t the only vent-blockage culprit, as steam from a hot shower can move up the vent pipe and freeze within the portion that extends beyond your roof. It’s for this reason that vents must be the correct size.
Odd smells inside your home are an indicator that something is wrong with your vents, so call a plumbing repair specialist if any untoward odours begin to circulate.
Snowy solar panels
A common concern for green households is that the white stuff will prevent their solar panels from functioning.
The good news is that sunlight can pass through an inch or two of snow, and as we usually only experience light to medium snow showers in the UK, your solar panels will continue to work efficiently.
Any snow that does freeze should melt away steadily, so do not risk your safety (or damage to the solar panels) by attempting to scrape away ice. Also, most solar systems are fitted with antifreeze refrigerant, which protects them against internal impairment.
1 The Week, 2014. White Christmas 2014: will it snow on 25 December?. [Online] Available at: http://www.theweek.co.uk/uk-news/61516/white-christmas-2014-will-it-snow-on-25-december.
2 The star, 2014. Doncaster water customers urged to guard against frozen pipes. [Online] Available at: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/doncaster-water-customers-urged-to-guard-against-frozen-pipes-1-7000682.
All information sources accessed on 16th December 2014.