PUPILS from the All Children’s Integrated Primary School, Newcastle, recently joined forces with NI Water to help spread its vital Lag and Tag message for winter.
The tags are to highlight the need to begin preparations for a cold snap this winter.xa0NI Water has produced the bright tag for customers to loop around the stop valve in their premises.xa0 This will ensure they are aware of the location of their stop valve and it will be easily identifiable in the event of a burst pipe.
Jane Jackson, NI Water education manager, said:xa0“Last year was a mild winter, so the urgency to ensure property is protected may slip to the bottom of the ‘to do’ list. However, the threat of a cold winter and burst or frozen pipes is very real and cannot be ignored.
“At the height of the winter of 2010/11, over 80% of the water lost from burst pipes was on the customer side, severely impacting on NI Water’s ability to provide water to all its customers.
“The pupils were each given a tag to take home and learnt about the importance of insulating pipes around the home. xa0Simple steps such as lagging water pipes and locating your stop valve can be vital during a freezing winter.”
Axa0stop valve is used to shut off the flow of water in a pipe. Stop valve tags are available to customers by phoning the Waterline number 08457 440088 or emailing xa0[email protected].
NI Water’s top tips for avoiding frozen pipes include:
* xa0Insulate water tanks and pipes in unheated areas like lofts, roof spaces, garages and outbuildings;
* xa0Fix dripping taps – a gentle trickle of water can freeze and block the pipe;
* xa0Keep your boiler well serviced to ensure your house is heated; If you are away from home during the winter period, open the trap door into the roof space to allow some of the warm air to circulate in the roof space;
* xa0If you are away from home you could leave a key with a neighbour, friend or family member who can check the house regularly for frozen pipes and to ensure there is adequate heat;
* xa0Know where your stop valve is in the case of an emergency – it is normally situated under the kitchen sink;
* xa0DO NOT run your tap to avoid a frozen pipe, a running tap can waste up to 3,000 gallons of water per day;
* xa0Write down the name and contact details of a SNIPEF (Scotland & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation) registered plumber in case a pipe does burst.
