Bad Weather: Insurance Pain
Written by Chris Spann / Moneysupermarket
As you might have noticed if you’ve looked out of your window at any point over the last couple of days, you’ll probably have noticed that the weather has been less than clement as of late. We’ve had floods, we’ve had snow, we’ve had winds and we’ve had hail; and none of these things or any good for that pile of bricks and tiles that you call home. So, question is, what can you do to protect your home from the cold?
Outdoor Taps
Anything that stays outside (for example garden hoses) should be completely disconnected to avoid freezing and splitting, and if at all possible all outdoor taps should be shut off at an indoor valve if at all feasible (and possible!) This can stop outside taps from freezing solid and breaking, leaving you with a tap that won’t stop pouring once the weather improves.
In the Attic
Get up into your attic and get some insulation on those pipes up there: - You don’t want to have to deal with the results of a burst pipe in the attic, believe me. Whether you choose something as simple as insulation sleeve or as hi-tech as thermostat controlled heat cables, just get something down before you turn your storage space into a giant aquarium.
Find and Fix Drafts
You know that external door with the slightly wonky seal? Well it could be time to get that sorted. Not only will drafts and the like simply lead to you pouring money down the drain in terms of heating bills, but you also run the risk of the cold freezing and damaging pipes in places like behind the units in your kitchen, and other colder, unheated places.
Know Where Your Stopcock Is
Simple one, this: Make sure you know exactly where to go to shut off the main supply to your home. Knowing where to go in the event of a leak can save you a huge home insurance claim for items like ruined carpets. The quicker you can stem a flow to your property, the safer you are.
Keep your indoor pipes warm
Pipes behind kitchen and bathroom units can get particularly cold if you’re not careful, even freezing up in some cases. Keep your cabinet doors open, and allow the heat to spread around your rooms.
There are other smaller precautions you can take as well: do not allow snow to collect on your roof, keep an eye on roof tiles and so forth, but following these simple instructions will help you save not only your home, but your money as well.
June 22nd, 2011 - 09:25
Is this real home – amazing snow covered… are people still living here ?
Hard to survie, though your tips for pipes and rest are very helpful.
September 5th, 2011 - 13:00
how cold!
November 26th, 2011 - 20:28
In recent winters i have been extremely busy designing Roof Coil Heaters ,These certain designs can get extremely complex with the additional accumulation of snow we been getting in the recent years. In a single case the ice had actually lifted up a small roof above a BOW window. Once lifted ,The ice began to go under the roof and into the home. The elderly couple said they were seeing this before BUT not quite as bad. They contacted their home warranty company ,Only to hear the issue is not covered in any way.The problem escalated into their living room and kitchen and ended up costing almost $7500 to repair all damages. Their Home was almost 4000 Sq Ft in total area. The roof in which needed the heating coils had multiple Valleys and peaks. The first problem i ran into was the seperation of the 2 roofs which caused the design to have multiple power sources . All issues seemed difficult to over come at first but i found a simple solution. I put the 2 switches inside the bathroom to control the left and the right side of the roof coils. This allows the homeowners to leave one side off to conserve energy if able to.
The first snow storm was quite proving.Almost a foot of snow and it appeared there was not an inch of accumulation of snow or ice in the troubled areas. The couple were very happy with the end results and i8m proud to also be a part of it..
November 27th, 2011 - 01:40
Thank you for the very helpful tips, I will Subscribe to your comments and rss feed now.Will also look forward to many new tips from you in the near future.