Uisce Éireann urges homes and businesses to prepare for freezing weather

WITH temperatures starting to drop and the first frosts expected this week, Uisce Éireann is advising households on how to avoid the inconvenience and cost of burst pipes and water outages during cold weather.

Water expands by nearly 10 per cent when frozen, which can cause even new pipes to split, leading to leaks and flooding.

As temperatures begin to drop, Uisce Éireann is advising customers to keep their homes winter-ready by insulating pipes, fixing leaks, servicing boilers, and reducing draughts.

They also urged customers to know where their stop valve is for emergencies.

Margaret Attridge, Uisce Eireann’s head of water operations, said: “We know from previous winters that freezing conditions can cause significant disruption for homes and businesses across the country.

“By taking simple steps now, like insulating pipes and checking stop valves, you can prevent costly damage and help keep water flowing for everyone.

“Our crews are ready to respond, but prevention is always better than cure.”

Margaret is also advising that people should not leave taps running as this will not necessarily prevent pipes from freezing and can impact on your local water supply.

“We also recommend that people don’t run taps continually as this is not an effective way of preventing frozen pipes and can cause other problems such as frozen drains,” she said.

“It also puts further pressure on water supplies that may already be challenged by the freezing conditions.”

Visit https://www.water.ie/winterproofing for step-by-step guidance and videos on protecting your home.