British Gas has shared how to thaw frozen pipes as freezing weather sweeps across the UK.
It has been another cold morning on Merseyside as the Met Office estimate temperatures plummeted to -4C. The sub zero conditions look set to continue across the North West tonight as the forecasting agency predict forecasts of -4C again.
Households are turning on the boiler in an attempt to cope in the freezing conditions. However, the sub-zero temperatures may mean your heating and hot water has stopped all of a sudden due to freezing water blocking the pipes - as the Daily Record reports.
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If you're experiencing this, you may not need to fork out for a specialist to come and fix it - because British Gas has provided a step-by-step guide on how to tackle the problem yourself. It's important to act quickly if you've got frozen or burst pipes, so these tips could save you time and money as you won't have to wait for an engineer to come out.
1. Look for the warning signs
Before your pipes freeze over, there are a couple of things that could happen which are tell-tale signs. First, your central heating could be making a 'gurgling' noise, your boiler won't switch on, or your taps produce little or no water. A clogged sink could also be a sign of frozen pipes, as well as your toilet flushing more slowly than normal.
2. Identify the frozen pipe
Next, it's time to actually find the pipe that's causing the problem. British Gas says that this is often the condensate pipe, which is the one that goes from your boiler through the wall and to the outside of your home.
3. Clear the blockage
To thaw out the inside of the pipe, you should prepare some hot - not boiling - water. By going outside and pouring it over the affected area, it should hopefully melt the ice and get the water running back to normal again. You can also do this with a hot water bottle, by placing it over the pipe.
British Gas says that any pipe exposed to the cold could be the culprit, but you should check pipes in other places too like in the attic or basement.
If you've booked an appointment to get it fixed but have managed to solve the problem yourself, don't forget to cancel so that the engineers can get out and help as many other people as possible.
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