Frozen pipes and no water?
We've seen a huge surge in people calling us over the last few weeks asking for advice on how to deal with frozen pipes and we're doing all we can to help.
On a typical day we receive
1,000 calls in our Bradford based contact centre, on the coldest days we get anything up to
8,000 calls . We're working around the clock to fix bursts on our own pipes but there are some simple steps you can follow to defrost your pipes and get your water back on.
Dealing with frozen pipes
Ask a neighbour
If you find you've got no water it's worth checking with your neighbours first to see if they're experiencing the same problem as there might be an incident such as a burst water pipe that has affected water supplies in your area. You can also check our
postcode lookup to see if there are any incidents where you live.
If you've got water and your neighbour hasn't or your neighbour is elderly, housebound or has a baby, medical condition or problems with mobility then please help them if you can.
Stop tap advice
If you're going away for the holiday period make sure you follow these simple steps to protect your home from burst pipes:
-
Turn your stop tap off
-
Turn a downstairs tap on and remove the plug
If your pipes have been frozen and thaw whilst you're away, by turning off your stop tap and leaving a tap open you may be able to avoid any burst pipes.
Remember to turn your tap off before you turn your stop tap back on.
If you're without water and you're worried about your
hygiene, health or
feeding your baby , please follow our advice.
Hygiene and health advice
How to defrost your frozen pipes
-
Step 1: Turn off your stop tap. You can find your stop at the point where it enters your home, either in the garage, your cellar or under the kitchen sink.
-
Step 2: Feel the pipework around your stop tap to see if it's extremely cold. If it is...
-
Step 3: Try heating the pipe with a fan heater or hair dryer. Don't use a naked flame.
-
Step 4: Turn your stop tap back on.
-
Step 5: Insulate your pipes with waterproof foam lagging, available from most DIY outlets or plumbing merchants.
Watch our video an follow our simple steps
If you're going away for
Christmas you can turn your water off as you may get a burst or leak. Just turn your stop tap off.
What to do when your pipes begin to thaw
Damage to pipes occurs when they become frozen, but you're only going to notice when the water in the pipe thaws. So, if a pipe is frozen isolate the affected area by closing your stop tap.
Start running your taps
When your pipes begin to thaw, run your taps into sink basins and baths to drain the plumbing system. This should reduce damage caused by water escaping from a burst pipe.
Warning
After freezing has occurred in pipes there's a risk of a burst if heat is applied suddenly. Don't switch on water heating appliances including boilers and immersion heaters until you're sure the system has thawed out. Reheat the building using gas, solid fuel or electric heaters that are unconnected with the plumbing or central heating system. Don't try to thaw pipes using a naked flame. A hair dryer can be used to direct heat onto frozen pipes, but take care, the pipe may burst as it thaws and spray water. Thaw the pipe at the end nearest the tap first.
Resuming normal service
Once the plumbing has thawed and there's no leaks, stop running the taps and slowly open the stop tap. Check the plumbing system for leaks once it's under pressure and, only when you're satisfied all systems are thawed, switch on water heating appliances. If you notice a leak, isolate the affected pipe by closing the stop tap, then call a plumber. If you want to find an approved plumber, use the
Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering's website .
What we're doing to help
Our call centre is receiving more calls than it normally does at this time of year but additional people are helping answer calls - please be patient with us if you're trying to get through. - We're trying to fix any bursts on our own pipes as quickly as we can so that water supplies aren't interrupted. We've increased the number of people on the ground who're helping us find and fix leaks.
- We're investing an additional £7million and have 140 people dealing with leaks - that's a 15% increase on last year and we're recruiting more.
