Homeowners urged to watch out for burst water pipes
With freezing weather affecting Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, householders are being urged to find out how to locate and isolate their water and electricity supplies.
Firefighters have been called out to 14 incidents caused by burst water pipes today, including seven within the space of little over an hour at lunchtime.
Although Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service responds to 999 calls where there is a hazard from flood water affecting the electricity supply or where vulnerable people are at risk, it cannot fix burst pipes.
Community safety manager Chris Bailey said: “With an increasing demand for help during this snowy and icy period, it’s essential that residents only call us when there is a genuine risk to life.
“We strongly recommend residents know where to locate and how to isolate their water and electrical supplies so that we don’t divert valuable resources from our primary functions - fighting fires and responding to collisions and other life-threatening emergencies.”
Residents who are experiencing burst pipes or electrical problems caused by the winter weather are advised to isolate their water or electrical supply where possible and to contact a local trader to fix the leak.
In a burst pipe emergency:
Turn off the water at the main supply and drain the system by running all the cold taps.
Turn off the water heating system then drain it by running all the hot taps.
Turn off the electricity.
Call in the professionals to repair the damage.
To prevent a burst pipe from ruining your home this winter, HomeServe offers the following advice:
Insulate your loft and the sides of your water tanks.
Insulate all your pipes.
Open the loft trap door on cold days to let heat in.
If you’re planning to be away for a while, ask a friend or relative to check on your home and make sure pipes haven’t burst or frozen.
Replace the washers on dripping taps because if they freeze they’ll block the pipe.
Make sure you know where your stop tap is and check regularly that you can turn it off easily in an emergency.
In very cold weather, keep your heating on low throughout the day, or set to come on a couple of times a day, especially if you’re going away.
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Weather for Milton Keynes
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
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