December 2010 brought heavy snow and long spells of hard frost across much of the country. For owners and managing agents, the real damage often appears not during the freeze but when it lifts. A pipe that split quietly in a loft or an empty flat starts to pour as soon as the ice melts, and by the time anyone notices, water has passed through ceilings and floors below.
Where pipes freeze
- Lofts and roof spaces, especially above insulation where the warmth from below does not reach.
- Tanks and pipes in unheated plant rooms, garages and outbuildings.
- Pipes on or near external walls, and those running through ventilated floor voids.
- Empty properties, vacant shops and flats between lettings, where heating has been switched off.
Simple precautions now
- Keep heating on at a low setting, including in empty units.
- Lag exposed pipes and tanks, and check that existing lagging is complete.
- Know where the stopcock is and make sure it turns.
- Arrange regular visits to vacant property, and record them. Many policies limit cover for property left unoccupied.
If a pipe bursts
- Turn off the water at the stopcock and, where safe, isolate electrics in the affected area.
- Tell your insurer promptly, and tell neighbours or other occupiers who may be affected.
- Take photographs before anything is moved or thrown away.
- Carry out emergency work only: stopping the leak, making safe, starting to dry out.
Getting the reinstatement right
Water travels further than it looks. It can soak into floor screeds, timber joists, wall plaster and insulation, and hidden moisture left behind can lead to decay and mould months later. Before redecorating, the building needs proper drying, with moisture readings taken to show it is dry. Rushing to repaint is one of the most common reasons a claim has to be reopened.
Where several flats in a block are affected, the scope of work, the drying programme and the claim need to be coordinated, so that each owner is reinstated properly and the insurer has a clear, single account of the loss.
Our Insurance Claims and Reinstatement service handles exactly this. See how we dealt with an escape of water affecting two flats.