How to Prevent Frozen Pipes This Winter
Every winter, we get dozens of emergency calls from homeowners across the Wirral dealing with frozen or burst pipes. When temperatures drop below zero — which happens more often than you might think on the Merseyside coast — the water inside your pipes can freeze, expand, and crack the pipework. The result is often serious water damage and an expensive repair bill.
The good news is that frozen pipes are largely preventable. Here is what you can do to protect your home.
Insulate Exposed Pipes
The single most effective thing you can do is insulate any pipes that run through unheated areas. This includes pipes in your loft, garage, under the kitchen sink against external walls, and any pipework in outbuildings.
Foam pipe lagging is cheap and available from any DIY store. It slips over the pipe and can be secured with tape. Pay special attention to:
- **Loft pipes** — loft insulation keeps heat in your rooms but leaves the loft space freezing cold
- **Pipes against external walls** — especially north-facing walls
- **Garage and outbuilding pipes** — these are often forgotten until they freeze
- **Overflow pipes** — the small pipes that poke out of your external walls
Keep Your Heating On Low
If you are going away during cold weather, never turn your heating off completely. Set your thermostat to at least 12-15 degrees Celsius. This keeps enough warmth circulating through the house to prevent pipes from freezing. The cost of running your heating on low for a few days is far less than the cost of repairing a burst pipe.
Know Where Your Stopcock Is
If the worst does happen, you need to be able to shut off the water supply immediately. Your internal stopcock is usually located under the kitchen sink, in a utility room, or under the stairs. Find it now and make sure it turns freely. If it is stiff, do not force it — call a plumber to free it up before an emergency strikes.
Open Loft Hatches on Very Cold Nights
When the forecast is for a hard frost, leaving your loft hatch slightly open allows warm air from the house to rise into the loft and keep the temperature above freezing. It is a simple trick that can save you a lot of trouble.
Let Taps Drip During Extreme Cold
If you know a particular pipe is vulnerable, leaving the tap running at a very slight drip keeps water moving through the system. Moving water is much harder to freeze than standing water.
What to Do If Your Pipes Freeze
If you turn on a tap and nothing comes out on a cold morning, you likely have a frozen pipe. Here is what to do:
Living on the Wirral, we are no strangers to harsh winter weather blowing in off the Irish Sea. A little preparation in autumn can save you from a plumbing emergency in January. If you would like us to check your pipework and insulation before winter sets in, get in touch with JF Plumbing & Heating for a no-obligation assessment.