If you haven't already done so, now is definitely the time of year to be insulating your water pipes.
It doesn't take long and really won't cost you the earth, but it's a job that's well worth doing.
So, why bother? For a start, insulating your pipes is the first line of defence against frozen - and subsequently burst - pipes over winter, which nobody wants to see. With the temperature now dropping daily, you can't take the risk of the mercury hitting sub-zero without having any protection on your water supply.
You might have read our previous blog post on the effects of winter on an electric shower. Freezing temperatures force your shower to work harder to heat the water, which can also affect the flow rate of the water coming out of your shower head. With this in mind, if you don't take action you could well experience a luke-warm trickle as opposed to the hot blast you're used to when the weather takes a turn for the worst.
Reason enough, then? So what can you do to protect your pipes?
The great thing about this job is it's so easy to do yourself. You could pay someone to do it, but for the effort and time involved it's really not worth the money you're likely to be quoted. The material you need can usually be found at your local hardware store.
However, first you need to figure out how much of it you need. Using a tape measure, take a note of the length of all the piping you plan to insulate. Make sure you cover as much as you can - this might involve climbing into some small, dark corners of your property but it's all necessary!
Now you have your measurements, go out and get the insulation! It comes in different sizes - both length and thickness - although it can be chopped down easily, so you might want to pay more attention to whether what you're buying will fit in those small spaces and around the pipes.
When it comes to attaching the insulation, simply slot it around the piping so it's nice and snug - feel free to secure it with cable ties when needed. Try not to leave any gaps between insulation as this obviously defeats the object of what you're trying to do.
Congratulations! Your home is now that little bit more prepared for the onslaught of winter. Told you it was easy!