Follow this practical advice if you have a burst or frozen pipe in your home.
Frozen/Burst pipe?
1. Turn off the stop valve immediately.
2. Open all COLD taps to drain the system, but NEVER turn on the hot taps - your hot water cylinder may collapse if the pipes leading to it are frozen.
3. Call a registered plumber or call Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbers Employers Federation (SNIPEF) on 0845 224 0391. Lines open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm.
Thawing out your pipes
1. Never attempt to thaw out frozen pipes by switching on your immersion heater or central heating boiler.
2. Check for leaking joints or bursts in the pipes instead.
3. Gently heat any frozen sections with a hairdryer or a heated cloth wrapped around the pipe. Never apply a direct flame.
If a pipe bursts:
1. Locate the stop valve which controls the water supply entering your home and turn it off immediately.
2. The stop valve is often - but not always - located under your kitchen sink and normally closes by turning clockwise.
6. If you live in a flat, you may have a shared water supply. Make sure you can get to the stop valve; this is normally located where the water supply enters the building.
3. Open all hot and cold taps to drain them of any remaining water to minimise the damage.
4. Phone a registered plumber.
5. Warn your neighbours so they can take steps to reduce the chance of any damage to their homes.
6. Switch off your electricity supply at the mains if there’s any chance that water could come into contact with electrical wiring or fittings. Call a qualified electrician if you are not sure what to do.
7. It’s important to remember to make sure your hot water system is refilled BEFORE you re-light your boiler or switch on the immersion heater.
Repairing a burst pipe
1. You can make a temporary repair to a burst pipe by binding it tightly with a cloth or tape.
2. Replace this as soon as possible by a permanent repair, carried out by a qualified and licensed plumber.
