Emergency Matters: How to prevent pipes freezing

There is nothing worse than costly water damage from burst frozen pipes that could have easily been avoided.

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There is nothing worse than costly water damage from burst frozen pipes that could have easily been avoided.

When poorly insulated or exposed to cold weather, your pipes could become frozen and, if left untreated, could burst from a high-pressure build-up.

Get ahead of the freezing weather by preparing your pipes for the worst – before it’s too late!

How do I prevent my pipes from freezing?

1. Firstly, you need the latest local weather forecast as action needs to be taken before there’s any chance of them freezing

2. Make sure that outdoor hose pipes are detached from the main tap to avoid water sitting in the pipe which could cause it to freeze up

3. Keep interior doors open to allow airflow through the house, as this allows the heat in your home to circulate freely between rooms. You should also consider leaving your heating on a constant temperature through the cold days

4. Check around the house for cracked and worn out pipes that may need urgent attention

Unsure on which pipes need to be insulated?

Here’s what we recommend:

• Outdoor pipes are most commonly known for freezing, and therefore this should be top of the list

• Pipes exposed in the loft, are often forgotten, and if they burst they can cause catastrophic water damage throughout the house

• Open spaces can sometimes be hard to heat, so we recommend insulting these as well e.g. garages

• You’ll want to make sure that any bends, valves and fittings, as well as the straight bits, are insulated properly

Insulating pipes around your home correctly can be a hassle. The correct type and size of lagging are essential for each individual pipe in order to be 100% effective. Getting these factors wrong could become costly – especially if it takes you more than one attempt! We recommend contacting a professional so it's right first time.

Time to get a professional in

For best results, we recommend hiring a professional.

No matter the size of the job, if you're not sure what you're doing, then you could make it worse.

Check out our guide to the cost of preventing winter freezing damage to learn how much to budget.

Thinking about tackling the job yourself?

If you have the right tools and are feeling brave, you could have a go at protecting your outside pipes.

Watch our how to video to help size up the job and then decide if you are up to the challenge: