How to Stop Your Pipes Freezing This Winter: When temperatures drop below zero, the water inside your pipes can freeze. As it freezes, it expands, putting enormous pressure on the pipe until it splits. Then, when the ice thaws, water pours out, often into ceilings, walls and floors.
A burst pipe can cause thousands of pounds of damage in a matter of hours. The good news is that most frozen pipes are completely preventable. Here’s how to stop your pipes freezing this winter, and what to do if the worst happens.
Which Pipes Are Most at Risk?
Pipes are most likely to freeze where they’re exposed to cold air and away from your heating. Pay close attention to pipes in:
- Lofts and attics
- Garages, sheds and outbuildings
- Cellars and crawl spaces
- Kitchen and bathroom cupboards on external walls
- Outside taps and exposed external pipework
- Your boiler’s condensate pipe, the plastic pipe running outside from a combi boiler
10 Simple Ways to Stop Your Pipes Freezing
1. Insulate Exposed Pipes
Foam pipe lagging is cheap, available from any DIY store and takes minutes to fit. Focus on pipes in the loft, garage and any unheated areas. Make sure there are no gaps at joints and bends, as these are often where freezing starts.
2. Insulate Your Loft Water Tank
If you have a cold water tank in your loft, fit an insulating jacket around it. Avoid insulating directly underneath the tank, as rising warmth from the house below helps keep it from freezing.
3. Keep Your Heating On Low
If you’re going away, even for a night, leave your heating on a low setting rather than switching it off completely. Many boilers have a frost protection setting designed for exactly this. A steady, low temperature is far cheaper than repairing a burst pipe.
4. Open Your Loft Hatch
On the coldest nights, opening the loft hatch lets warm air from your home circulate around the pipes and tank above.
5. Open Cupboard Doors Under Sinks
Pipes under kitchen and bathroom sinks on external walls can get surprisingly cold. Leaving the cupboard doors open allows warm air to reach them.
6. Protect Your Outside Taps
Outside taps are among the first things to freeze. If you have an isolation valve inside, turn it off, then open the outside tap to drain any remaining water. Finish with an insulated tap cover.
7. Fix Dripping Taps
A slow drip might seem harmless, but water trickling through a cold pipe can freeze and cause a blockage. Replacing a worn washer or cartridge is a quick fix that removes the risk.
8. Seal Draughts Near Pipes
Cold air getting in through gaps around pipes, air bricks or doors can freeze nearby pipework. Seal gaps where pipes enter your home, but never block air bricks or ventilation needed for gas appliances.
9. Know Where Your Stopcock Is
Your stopcock controls the water supply to your whole home. It’s usually under the kitchen sink, though it can be in a cupboard, cellar or under the stairs. Find it now and check it turns freely, so you can shut off the water quickly in an emergency.
10. Get Your Boiler Serviced
An annual service helps keep your boiler reliable when you need it most. A healthy boiler keeps water moving and your home warm, both of which help prevent frozen pipes.
Signs Your Pipes Have Frozen
You may have a frozen pipe if:
- No water comes out when you turn on a tap
- Only a trickle of water flows
- There’s frost on the outside of a pipe
- You hear strange gurgling or banging noises
- Your boiler shows a fault code and the condensate pipe outside is frozen
What to Do If a Pipe Freezes
- Turn off the water at the stopcock to reduce the risk of flooding if the pipe has split
- Open the tap the pipe feeds, so water can escape as it thaws
- Thaw the pipe gently, starting from the tap end, using a hot water bottle, warm towels or a hairdryer on a low setting
- Check for leaks and splits as the pipe thaws
Never use a blowtorch or naked flame to thaw a pipe. It’s a serious fire risk and can damage the pipe.
For a frozen condensate pipe, pour warm (not boiling) water along the pipe until the ice clears, then reset your boiler.
What to Do If a Pipe Bursts
If a pipe bursts, act fast:
- Turn off the water at the stopcock immediately
- Turn off your heating and boiler
- Open all cold taps to drain the system
- Switch off electricity at the fuse box if water is near sockets or light fittings
- Move valuables away from the water
- Call an emergency plumber
