How to Prepare Your Plumbing for a Melbourne Winter

Melbourne winters aren’t arctic, but the cold snaps still put real strain on your plumbing — and hot water systems always seem to fail on the coldest morning of the year. A little preparation in autumn saves a lot of grief.

Protect exposed pipes

Pipes that run outside or through unheated spaces — under the house, in the garage, along an exterior wall — are the ones at risk in a hard frost. Lagging (foam pipe insulation) is cheap and easy to fit, and it’s the single best defence against a burst pipe.

Service your hot water system

Demand on your hot water unit spikes in winter, which is exactly when an ageing system gives up. If yours is more than a few years old, or you’ve noticed it’s slower to heat or running out faster, get it checked before the cold sets in rather than after it fails.

Clear gutters and drains

• Clear leaves and debris from gutters and downpipes so winter rain drains away instead of pooling or overflowing.
• Check outdoor drains and grates are clear — blocked stormwater drains cause flooding during heavy rain.
• If a drain is already slow, deal with it now. Cold weather and heavy rain turn a slow drain into a blocked one fast.

Know where your stop tap is

If a pipe does burst, being able to shut off the water immediately is the difference between a mop-up and a flooded home. Make sure everyone in the house knows where the main stop tap is and that it actually turns — old valves sometimes seize.

Bleed and check heating

If you have hydronic or gas heating, it’s worth having it checked before you rely on it daily. Catching a fault early is always cheaper and warmer than discovering it mid-winter.