Zurich Municipal reveals that the number of burst pipes in schools soared by 185% last December

The sub-zero conditions freeze the water in pipes, causing them to expand and eventually split from the pressure.

Whilst the UK is experiencing milder temperatures compared to the same period last year, Zurich’s insurance experts urge schools not to be complacent going into the Christmas holidays. If temperatures drop below zero, there is a serious risk of burst pipes and escape of water.

According to the Association of British Insurers, escape of water was a significant issue for both residential and commercial buildings in 2022 with a total of £987m worth of claims made across the year, a 15% increase over 2021. This amounts to an average of around £2.7m worth of escape of water losses every single day.

Tilden Watson, Head of Education at Zurich Municipal, comments:

“Some headteachers may be worried about vandalism or theft while schools are closed over the festive period. If temperatures reach zero, it’s burst pipes that they need to be concerned about. Escape of water can cause utter chaos in schools. Busy teachers really don’t want to start the new year with areas of the school being closed for repairs or worse still, entire school closures.

“The good news is that there are some simple and cost-effective steps that schools can take to prevent burst pipes. We are urging school staff to make sure they’re prepared for all weathers before they dash off for their well-deserved Christmas break.”

Ten tips to prevent burst pipes over the Christmas break:

• Students and staff will be keen to leave school premises quickly, but it’s a good idea to thoroughly inspect the property before closing for Christmas. Check for leaks, drips and any overflows to help prevent an expensive escape of water claim and a lot of upheaval.
• Know where your stopcock is and how to turn it off, always test it twice a year to make sure it’s working.
• Set heating system thermostats to 10°C to prevent water pipes freezing while the school is closed over the festive period.
• Install frost stats, a special thermostat, to trigger the heating when the temperature falls to 5 degrees Celsius. Always make sure frost stats are fitted in the coldest parts of buildings.
• Make sure external taps and pipes are insulated to protect them against frost. This should be part of a school’s regular maintenance regime. It’s also a good idea to check existing insulation is intact before closing the school for Christmas.
• If budgets allow, install water management devices to detect falls or increases in water pressure. More advanced systems will automatically shut off water supplies if a problem is detected.
• Ensure plans for the school building shows where the stop cocks are so that they can be turned off quickly in case there is an emergency.
• The loft space of a well-insulated property will be much colder so check pipes are well insulated. This may mean insulating these pipes as you would do pipes on outside walls.
• If buildings are left unoccupied for a long period of time (e.g. 30 days) and you don’t want to leave the heating on, make sure you drain all pipes, tanks and heating systems.
• Regularly review contents your insurance policy to ensure you have appropriate levels of cover for electronic equipment, particularly if you have upgraded or purchased new equipment recently.