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.

When poorly insulated or exposed to the 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. Ensure 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. Keeping interior property doors open to allow airflow through the house – this allows the heat in your home to circulate freely between rooms – you should 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
5. No time, lack of tools and short on skills? We recommend you search Checkatrade.com to find your local handyman expert and let them tackle the task within hours

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, these are often forgotten, and if they burst they can cause catastrophic water damage throughout the house
• Open spaces can sometimes be hard to heat and therefore we recommend insulting these as well e.g. garage
• 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!

Time to get a professional in

No matter the size of the job it’s time to call a professional in. Make sure you use a qualified professional who comes with good recommendations – using a trusted tradespeople site like Checkatrade means it’s simple to find local, thoroughly checked professionals along with recent reviews of their services at the click of a button.

Thinking about tackling the job yourself?

If you have the right tools and feeling brave you could have a go at protecting your outside pipes. It’s not an easy job and if in doubt we always recommend using a Checkatrade expert.

Watch our simple film to help size up the job and then decide if you are up to the challenge.