Frozen & burst pipes

What to do if you have a frozen or burst pipe

If you spot that one of your pipes might be frozen, turn off your inside stop tap immediately. It might be under the kitchen sink, in an airing cupboard.

How to thaw frozen pipes

It's best to thaw out pipes slowly, using a hairdryer on its lowest setting, hot water bottles or towels soaked in warm water. 

Do not use direct heat as this may cause permanent damage to the pipes and could also lead to a fire in the home. Turn on nearby cold taps (keep the stop tap turned off) this will relieve pressure on the frozen pipe.

Our staff will be happy to talk you though how to do this over the phone.

What to do if you have a burst pipe

Pipes that freeze and thaw can then burst. If this happens, turn off the mains water supply immediately by using the stopcock. This will stop any more water getting into the water pipes. If the burst pipe is on the main water system the rush of water will stop after a short while.

If the rush of water does not stop or there is still a constant run of water, please call our repairs team on the numbers above.

As the big freeze continues, follow this advice to prevent frozen pipes

• Make sure you know where your stop tap is and check it’s working.
• If you are going away, leave your heating on and set the thermostat to 14 C.
• Get a neighbour or family member to look in occasionally if you go away.
• Turn off the water supply to outside toilets and taps.
• Leave the kitchen cupboard doors under the sink open when you go to bed. 
• Have our tips on how to thaw your pipes close to hand. Phone our repairs team if you have a burst pipe.
• Make sure you have our repairs and out of hours emergency phone number close to hand.