PROTECT YOUR PIPES OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Southern Water is warning people to take a few simple precautions to prevent the misery of burst pipes this winter.

When frozen water pipes burst, hundreds of litres of water can cascade through ceilings, causing costly damage to buildings and furniture.

Jon Crooke, Water Operations Manager for Southern Water, said: "Burst water pipes can not only cause a huge amount of damage and misery, they can also result in lots of water going to waste.

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"We are urging all our customers to take a few precautions such as making sure taps are turned off and pipes are lagged to help prevent pipes freezing and bursting."

Tips include:

Repair dripping taps and turn them off

Ensure tanks and cisterns are lagged '“ but not under the water tank. If they aren't lagged, open the loft door to let heat circulate.

While away, leave the central heating on low or drain down the system

The best lagging for pipes is pre-formed tubular insulating material, available from most DIY stores.

If a pipe bursts, turn off the stop tap and central heating boiler and call a plumber.

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