As the weather gets colder we thought you might be grateful for some handy hints and tips.
Keep warm: Lots of layers will keep you warmer than just one big jumper so don’t forget to add a ‘T’shirt, a vest or thinner jumper underneath - perhaps all of these if it gets really cold. Gloves and a hat are a big help so check that you take them with you when you go out.
Avoid slips and falls: The ice is causing lots of falls and injuries so make sure you wear shoes that have plenty of grip on the bottom. Don’t be fooled into popping to the bin in your slippers as lots of people fall and break their leg every year on that quick trip.
Keep your heating on as much as you can. Even if you go away leave it on really low just twice a day to stop your pipes freezing up.
Hot drinks are good to keep the chill away so keep your favourite in the cupboard.
Your home needs looking after as well in these cold temperatures:
- Occasionally run your taps to make sure water is flowing. This helps to prevent ice building up.
- If you have a frozen pipe and it is in your property you can use a hairdryer directly on to the pipes to try and thaw it out.
- If you have frozen pipes but a small trickle of water turn your tap on as this will help water flow and unfreeze the pipes BUT be careful to turn them off if it doesn’t work otherwise you will have a flood when they thaw later.
- Make sure you know where your water stop tap is as if you have a burst pipe turning this off will stop water damaging your home and furniture. If you are unlucky enough to get frozen up it is very likely that when the thaw comes you will have a burst pipe so you will need to be able to turn the water off. Don't wait- turn off the stop tap immediately as that will stop water damage then give us a call.
- Keep your kettle filled all the time so you can still have a hot drink if your water pipes freeze.
- Keep some bottled water in the cupboard just in case.
- If you don't have cold water your hot water tank will no longer fill up so don't use your hot water either.
- If your water stops check to see if your neighbours have the same problem. If they do you should contact your water company in case it is a problem with the main supply. If it is just your house call Midland Heart on 0345 60 20 540 and we will be able to help.
We will continue to be there for you whatever the weather but it is possible that there may be roads that we can not reach or supplies that are in national shortage such as grit. We will do all we can to get to you but we might need to ask for you to be patient and understand if we have to put the most urgent work first.
There may also be some repair work that the weather will not allow us to do at the moment. If this affects one of your repairs we will explain why this is and we will arrange to carry out the repair when things warm up enough. This might include:
- working on a roof as it is too slippy to do this safely at the moment
- digging the ground perhaps to lay slabs is not possible while the ground is frozen
- using paint and cement because it will not dry properly in very cold temperatures
If you have any questions just call us on 0345 60 20 540.