您今年冬天必须在花园里做的一件事以避免冷冻管道

冬季，当人们采取措施保护自己的房屋免受后果的后果时冷冻管道.

当然，冻结的花园水龙头很烦人，尤其是如果您希望在霜冻升起后打扫汽车或植物浇水。但是实际上，冻结的花园水龙头不仅仅是不便 - 它可能会对房屋的管道造成严重破坏。

See:Winter garden ideas- 如何使您的后院冬季美丽

(Image credit: Getty)

So, what are the problems a frozen garden tap can pose? The most common case scenarios are a burst pipe, a broken valve, a broken joint – or all three, if there was enough water left in the tap.

As Steve Allen, technical expert at哈维水软化ers, explains, 'although a garden tap is outside of the property if it becomes frozen it can cause a joint inside the property to come apart and leak.'

如何防止外部水龙头或水龙头冷冻？

Typically, an outside faucet will have a shut-off valve inside the property, and it's water remaining in the pipe leading up to this valve that's the problem. Water expands when frozen, and if the frozen water has nowhere to go, it will destroy whatever's constraining it.

For this reason, it's very important to shut off the valve that lets water flow into the garden tap over the cold winter months. Once you've shut off the supply, open the garden tap to let air flow in. This air supply will ensure that any water that does remain in the tap after it's been shut off has room to expand.

See:The best seasonal plants- 以及如何照顾他们

Of course, not all homes have an isolation valve for the outside tap; many older homes only have one valve that controls all water supply to the house.

In this situation, you'll want to insulate your garden tap to prevent it from freezing over – as well as the surrounding pipework. 'Purpose made tap covers are available from most DIY stores', as Steve Allen points out. They're inexpensive (we've seen one at Aldi) and will provide enough protection in most cases.

但是，请记住，直到春季水重新打开时，冻结的水龙头造成的损害可能不会显示出来 - 因此，当您这样做时，请花点时间寻找泄漏。

Disconnect the garden hose, too

（图片来源：John Nzoka/Unsplash）

If your water-filled garden hose is left to freeze it can only exacerbate the problem, so disconnect it, drain it and put it away until spring comes. This won't just stop your outside faucet from freezing – it will protect the hose too, since plastic splits when it expands.

What happens if my outside tap freezes?

如果您为时已晚，那么您的花园水龙头已经冻结了？不要惊慌：这并不意味着它已经引起了爆裂的管道或破裂的阀门。尝试将其包裹在被热水中浸泡的毛巾中，或将温水倒在上面以解冻。如果什么都没有起作用，在问题变得更糟之前，打电话给水管工是最好的行动。

Can I claim on insurance if an outside faucet freezes?

Many people wonder whether if the worst has happened, and a pipe has burst, they could claim insurance. There's a mixture of good and bad news here: yes, most home insurance plans will cover your home against damage caused by burst pipes. Insurance expert and director at一个经纪人肖恩·伦顿（Shaun Lenton）解释说：“大多数英国保险政策为房主的财产损失损害，并由爆破管道造成的内容。”

However, he also adds that 'the damage to the pipes themselves is not necessarily covered, particularly if the failure is related to age or general wear and tear.'

In other words, if your garden tap causes a burst pipe or valve, it's most likely you'll have to pay for the repairs, so you really don't want it freezing over.