Have your water pipes frozen? Heres what you need to do and how to prevent it happening!

Helpful advice on frozen water pipes in your home....

How to prepare for winter:

Find your main stopcock and make sure you can turn it on and off.
Repair any dripping taps, this will help prevent water from freezing.
Checking your lagging. All pipes and tanks in loft spaces, and anywhere else which could be liable to freezing, should be fully lagged.

Leaving your property empty during winter:

Leave your heating on for at least an hour a day while you are away from home. In severe weather, or if severe weather is forecast, you should always leave your heating on day and night at your usual temperature setting - whether you are at home or not.
If it is very cold consider opening your loft trap door. This allows warm air from other parts of the house to circulate in the loft and will help prevent pipes freezing.
Ask a friend or relative to visit your home every day while you are away. This will mean that, if you do suffer a burst pipe, it will be detected as soon as possible, and the damage caused will be minimised.

Finding your pipes frozen:

Turn your water off at the main stopcock and thaw them with a hairdryer or hot water bottle.
If a pipe has burst, turn off the water at the main stopcock.
Switch off your central heating and any other water heating installations.
Open all the taps to drain the system.
Make sure professional repairs are carried out before you turn anything back on.
Keep contact details for your insurance company helpline near your phone.

Preventing frozen pipes:

As you may already know, frozen pipes can cause considerable inconvenience and expense. In cold weather, it is wise to insulate any exposed pipes to prevent them from freezing. To protect against the cost of replacing damaged or burst pipes in the near future, contact JMCD Plumbing and Heating Engineers in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

We are rated as Halifax's best plumbing and heating company for both domestic and commercial customers.