Frozen and burst pipes advice
Your responsibilities
To maintain your pipes, make sure that you:
- know where the water pipe (the ‘stop tap’) enters your home
- know where the hot and cold tank gate valves are
- can turn off all taps and valves easily
- lag pipes and tanks in your roof space - but do not put insulation underneath the water tank
If pipes have frozen
You will need to turn off your water supply at the stop tap. You can try to thaw the pipes out by using hot water bottles only. Do not use hot water or a naked flame to try to thaw the pipes.
You must contact your water supplier, not the council.
If pipes have burst
You will need to turn all water taps on to drain water from the system. This takes about 15 minutes.
You will also need to turn off:
- your water supply at the stop tap
- any water heaters
- the gate valve if you have a hot water cylinder leak
If you have a hot water cylinder leak, turn off the valve. This is usually located in the airing cupboard.
If water is leaking through a ceiling and making it bulge, put a bucket underneath and make a small hole in the ceiling to let the water through. This could prevent the ceiling from falling down.
Contact our Repairs Line for council tenants as soon as possible.
If you are going away for several weeks, turn off your:
- water supply at the stop tap
- gas supply
- heating
If you go away during cold weather, set your heating on a timer or on low to prevent pipes from freezing or bursting.
Page last updated: 26 April 2023
