We have a cold water storage tank in the loft, which is not properly lagged at the moment. My neighbour is convinced there is risk of flooding of the water freezes then thaws. The tank is made of plastic (PVC?) not lead. The lid is loose, leaving plenty of space for expansion. To my mind, freezing would be an inconvenience but no risk to the integrity of the tank.
However, she also mentioned the inlet and outlet pipes. Could they freeze and present a risk? Anyone venture an opinion?
Omit insulation underneath the tank, lag tank & pipes. You can always use scrap cloth if you've got nothing else.
NT
Sods law and it will be a cold winter.
Around 25 years ago my neighbour disappeared on holiday for two weeks over Christmas. His mother had the property next to him and also went on the same holiday. Both houses had a lack of maintenance and I suspect no loft or pipe insulation.
After week water started appearing from the eves on my neighbours property. The outside stop c*ck was then turned off and on my neighbours return industrial heaters were installed for a couple of weeks to dry out the place. He sold the place a few months afterwards and the house was completely renovated including new ceilings.
His mothers property had the same problem a few days later but this time the water was going through the party wall of her neighbour property (terraced housing). Unfortunately the outside stop c*ck for her property was seized and the water continued to flow for a bit longer until it could be turned off.
They could but assuming the house underneath is heated not very likely unless you get several consecquative days around -10 C at night and not rising above freezing during the day.
Yep, doesn't take much to keep Jack Frost out. The biggest danger is if the pipes pass through an area with a draught from outside coming in.
Our neighbour went away for Christmas a few years ago, and one day, the first-named on his emergency call list answered the 'phone, to hear the sound of running water coming over the 'phone. The leak from the broken pipe had shorted out the Emergency Call system, which had then called the first number on its internal list. It took a lot of work to get the house back into liveable condition again.
It depends whereabouts in the country you are.
In central Kent there is a significant risk if the property is left without the central heating on. Some time ago I did have a pipe freeze fortunately it was a copper pipe and did not burst. These days I have a frost stat in the attic. It is set to 1 or 2 deg and I have known it to turn the boiler on even if we are living in the house with the central heating on.
By the sea in Anglesey you might get away with it.
Did they not turn the water off before departing?
Yup :(
In a cold snap the 80s, we had the water in an unlagged heating expansion tank freeze, which proceeded to travel and freeze water in the lagged pipes supplying it, moving apart a not very well made olive compression joint and flooding the entire 3-bedroom house top to bottom with 8 hours of unleashed mains water...
It was nightmare clean up, that one. All wallpaper removed and dehumidifiers running 24/7 for a week ;-(
Lag the tank.
It may not be the tank itself that fails but the copper pipe leading to the valve that fills it. I saw what happens to an unheated upstairs flat when a really cold winter causes a flood in 1985. It was impressive since the rate of water fill was fast enough that the base of the outer door failed eventually punching through other doors on the stairway. There were cataracts down the stairs and ice everywhere outside.
The pipes with water in are probably the most serious risk. If a 1cm layer of ice forms in the tank that isn't fatal but in a water pipe the pressure can rise alarmingly as the ice expands on freezing. It should definitely be insulated. The overflow pipe shouldn't normally have water in it and doesn't need insulation.
It is most likely a problem when it thaws out again after several days at -10C or lower overnight penetrating frost. You would notice loss of supply if you were living there but it it was empty all bets are off.
Polystyrene slab sheet will do a pretty good job of preventing it from freezing. Recycled packaging would be better than nothing. As others have said insulate the sides and top of the tank you want it to steal a bit of warmth from the house underneath.
You may get away with it for a long time since winters these days are so very mild. We had pelargoniums in flower outdoors last Christmas and could have had fresh picked rhubarb crumble for pudding.
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