How to avoid springing a leak this March - advice from NI Water

The return of some wintery weather is a timely reminder to protect your home against the damage burst pipes can cause.

There are simple steps you can carry out to ‘Beat the Freeze’.

These include knowing where your stop-valve is and keeping the contact number of a registered plumber on hand to deal with any bursts or leaks on your property.

The devastation caused by burst pipes cannot be underestimated.

Not only can the water cause structural damage to a property, but the lasting damage in a home can be to personal items, including photographs and electrical equipment such as tablets, iPads and laptops, that may be irreplaceable.

If you do suffer a burst pipe, a leak or flooding of any kind, the first thing to do is turn off the electricity supply at the fuse box immediately.

When the leak has been repaired and the water mopped up, examine all sockets, switches, ceiling roses and electrical equipment nearby to make sure they’re dry.

On a wider scale, if you imagine the impact of thousands of litres of water pouring out of burst water pipes, any water distribution network would struggle to maintain continuity of

supply in those circumstances.

Insulating your pipework is an essential action to protect your water supply and that of your neighbours.

The advice is simple – Spring into action and make sure your property is well protected.

For more information visit www.niwater.com.