Pipe burst due to cold - how to prevent in future

[dave_s13]

Having my extension built at them moment so not been living in the house for over 6 weeks. This has meant no heating in the place whatsoever so been really, really cold. Cold enough for all the water in the toilet pan to freeze solid.

Plumber is in today doing various jobs and has told me the hot water out of the boiler is split.

To cut a long story short.

Moved into house, new combi boiler installed in coat cupbaord off the hallway (so inside).
Boiler moved into coal cupboard at side of house. Accessed by a rather ill fitting wooden door.

Essentially the boiler is now housed in a a small space under the stairs with only a wooden door seperating it from the elements.

Now, I'm assuming that once we are back in and the boiler is being used again it's unlikely this will happen again. But I'd rather be sure of it.

Anyone have any ideas on my options for making sure pipework in my coal/understair cupboard doesn't freeze up if (when) it gets well below freezing again??

[Piersman2]

Time the central heating to come on 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening.

Should keep the house above freezing.

[dave_s13]

When we are living there we have the boiler on a 5/2 day program that means the house never drops below 15 deg C.

Trouble is, when it gets cold, it could be 15 degrees in the living room but could it be below freezing in the coa/understair cupboard with it been so relatively exposed??

[Piersman2]

Mmm.. not much you can do except lag and insualte from the outside world an hope that the heat inside the house can keep the area around the pipes warm for the inside.

Doesn't sound like this is gonna be easy for you though.

[rhinochopig]

Google Trace heating cable - it's basically like electrical cable that you wrap around the pipes that produces heat and works off a stat. It'll stop your pipes freezing. Are they properly lagged though?

[IanMorewood]

Stick a 50mm polyboard on the inside of the door and lag the pipes would be my suggestion.

[mgtony]

Are you saying that the boiler is now accessed from outside the house? If so, How about fitting one of these to keep the frost at bay:

http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/level5/module.jsp?modul...

[dave_s13]

Yes boiler is now accessed from outside, down the drive.

Pipes are lagged, but door is not insulated - I'll get that sorted.

Trace heat - good idea but there is a lot of pipework in there and I assume any one of them could pop so would all need to be done.

That greenhouse heater is what I had in mind. I assume they are unlikely to spotaneously combust and burn the house down, no?

[B17NNS]

Ensure all the pipes are properly lagged and consider upgrading the door.

[mgtony]

Upgrade the door, but it'll still need air vents/supply of fresh air me thinks.

[Laurel Green]

I'd have thought most boilers have an inbuilt frost-stat to prevent this sort of thing happening - mine has. Mind, if the electricity to the boiler is off, then this will not work.

[dave_s13]

Laurel Green said:

I'd have thought most boilers have an inbuilt frost-stat to prevent this sort of thing happening - mine has. Mind, if the electricity to the boiler is off, then this will not work.

Bingo! It's been off for over 6 weeks! Plumber has found 2 more blown joints and the boiler is now dripping from the rear....fvkin bllx!

I can't wait to get back in the place and make it warm again!

[Ricky_M]

Frost stat?

[Gingerbread Man]

Ricky_M said:

Frost stat?

Was about to say this but read through first to make sure nobody else had.

[Raverbaby]

Tubular heater controlled from a stat?

[herewego]

This won't happen when you live there because you'll have the boiler operating for a couple of periods a day. While you're not there in potential freezing conditions you should drain the system.