With the cold snap now upon us, untold homeowners will be suffering the misery of burst pipes thanks to poorly lagged roof spaces, basements, outbuildings and pipework exposed to the chill generally. Apart from the cost of plumbing remedials, the effects can be catastrophic in terms of ruined walls, floors, furnishings and other damage associated with flooding.
And that’s not to mention the potential charges from unsympathetic utility companies who generally only grant two burst or leak ‘allowances’ when it comes to losses of metered supplies.
One key means of reducing the risk of burst pipes is by installing Hep2O plastic push-fit plumbing systems – and certainly using it for repairs – to better resist the effects of the cold. Although plastic plumbing should still be insulated to reduce risk of freezing, when temperatures plunge, when lagging just isn’t enough, plastic pipe maintains its flexibility in temperatures as low as -15ºC.
This significantly reduces the likelihood of bursts, even at sub-zero temperatures, when the water has frozen to ice, therefore expanding its volume. Unlike rigid systems, Hep2O® pipe can accept a level of expansion without fracturing, and will resume its original size after a thaw.
Furthermore, as Hep2O’s Polybutylene (PB) 'Straight Coil Pipe’ can be easily threaded through joists and around bends, the number of joints – compared to a copper system – is vastly reduced so removing another potential point of vulnerability during the winter.
When speed is of the essence during repair work, Hep2O’s push fit fittings are fast and easy to fit, and the ‘rumble’ feature means you can simply twist the fitting to feel that the joint is fully inserted and totally secure. Also as no solder is needed, it is easy to make fast and effective repairs in the most adverse of weather conditions.
Hep2O has a proven track record, so much so that the company offers a 50 year guarantee – twice as long as other plastic systems.
The Hep2O range of pipe and fittings is the only plastic system accepted by British Gas for use by their engineers, demonstrating the quality and reliability of the system. Other benefits to homeowners include: no scale or corrosion; silence in use (no warm-up banging or squeaking); and much lower surface temperatures – reducing contact burn risk to children and the elderly. There is also no interest in plastic plumbing from metal thieves.
