Ethos Public Relations Manchester

Winter proof your home

by Ethos public relations

There are still many more cold winter weeks ahead and this is the time when householders can experience problems. Assistant Director Steve Partner, part of the property regeneration team at Contour Homes, part of Symphony Housing Group, helps maintain thousands of properties and he shares of his top tips for winter proofing your home.

“Keeping warm is a top priority and the highest volume of call outs we receive at this time of year is around the heating system not working correctly,” he said.

“Frozen pipes can cause all kinds of problems, usually caused by the condensate pipe of your boiler - a waste pipe that carries condensation from the boiler to your drain outside. This can freeze which will cause your boiler to stop working.

“The best thing to do is avoid freezing pipes by keeping your heating on and running cold taps regularly.”

Steve said that all householders should know where their stop tap is located as it is imperative this is turned off in the event of any freezing, blockages or leaks. It is usually under the main sink.

If you are having problems with your boiler there are a few very obvious things you can do yourself before calling out an engineer. This includes checking the boiler and the isolation switch/plug are on – also making sure the thermostat is turned up.

“If we get severe weather as we did last year, it is often a good idea to have your own emergency kit at home,” said Steve. “This is particularly important if you find it difficult to get out or you live in a rural location.”

A home emergency kit could comprise torches and batteries, spare bulbs, warm clothing, a first aid kit, a telephone and useful numbers such as local police station, local doctors or a friend or neighbour. In addition, non perishable food could also be a good idea.

“Keeping warm is a top priority for everyone, especially the elderly,” adds Steve. “Keep curtains drawn and use draught excluders around doors and windows if you can feel cold air coming in.

“Finally, if you do have an elderly neighbour and we have a very cold spell, please spare a few minutes to check they are OK.”

To read other news from Contour Homes click here.

Posted at 4^th January 2012