Winter weather advice

If you currently have no Water Supply at your property.

• First, please check with your neighbours to see if their water supply has been affected
• If they also have no water, contact us on 08457462200
• If your neighbours have a water supply it is likely that your private pipe work has frozen due to the current exceptional weather conditions.

Help to restore your water supply
Protect your pipes
Problems with pipes
Power cut
Frozen reservoirs

The following guidance is to assist you to restore your water supply.

• Please check all visible pipes for damage or evidence of freezing.
• Find your main stop valve and make sure you can turn it on and off. It will usually be somewhere on the ground floor of your home. Usually this will be under the kitchen sink or in a utility room closest to where the water supply enters your property.  It can also be located in the meter box on the external wall of your property or on the wall of the garage.

• Try to turn your stop valve off to ensure it is working.
• If damage to your pipe work is evident, turn your stop valve off as this may reduce damage to your property when the water thaws.

If stop valve is working and there is no visible damage to your pipe work, leave the stop valve open, however be prepared to turn it off if a leak becomes apparent during the thawing process.

Advice on thawing your pipe work / stop valve

• Before you start to thaw the system, do what you can to protect or remove anything which might be damaged by the thawing water running from a potential burst.
• Ensure that your tap is in the open position, this will help reduce the pressure on the pipe work if a burst appears.
• Thaw the pipe using a hot water bottle placed on the exposed pipe. Re-use the water in the bottle and reheat hourly. If necessary get some water from your neighbour.
• This process may take several hours to thaw your pipes.
• Please avoid using heat on or near your water meter.

Areas of water supply pipe to apply heat to:

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• Electrical appliance's eg hair dryer can be used but extreme caution must be taken.
• Do not use a blow lamp or heat gun
• Once water begins to flow from your tap allow to run until normal flow is restored.
• Turn off your tap and insulate your pipe work to prevent further freezing or provide additional heating in the affected area.

Problems with pipes

What to do if a pipe or tank freezes

• Turn off the water at the main stop valve. If there's a stopcock fitted on the system side of the header tank (to stop water leaving the tank) turn this off too.
• Do this even if you only suspect your pipes are frozen, as they could also have burst. By turning off the water you will reduce the amount of water which can escape and therefore minimise damage to your home.
• Before you start to thaw the system do what you can to protect or remove anything which might be damaged by the thawing water running from the burst.
• Thaw the pipe using a hairdryer or hot water bottle - DO NOT USE A BLOW LAMP OR HEAT GUN.
• Open the tap closest to the frozen part of the pipe.
• Begin thawing the pipe from the tap side of the frozen area by heating it gently and work back towards the header tank.

If a pipe has burst

• Turn off the water at the main supply stop valve.
• Switch off the central heating to avoid further damage or even an explosion.
• Open all the taps to drain the system.

It's worth keeping the number of a reliable plumber to hand.  By visiting this website - http://www.wras.co.uk/WIAPS/Plumber_search.asp you will be able to input your address and find an approved plumber close to where you live.

Do's and don'ts of leaks

• If water is coming through the ceiling collect it in buckets.
• If the ceiling starts to bulge pierce the plaster with a broom handle to let the water through.
• If your wiring or any electrical appliances have been affected don't touch them until they have been checked by a professional electrician. If in doubt, turn off your electricity at the mains.

After a flood

• Leave windows, doors and built-in cupboards open during the day, if possible.
• Keep affected rooms heated, but don't over-heat them, as this could cause further damage.

Protect your pipes

• Repair any dripping taps.
• Fully lag all pipes and tanks in the loft space, or anywhere else which may be liable to freezing.
• Use preformed pipe insulation on all pipe runs. Check with your local DIY store to see how thick this should be.
• Wrap bends or hard-to-get-at pipes with securely fixed strips of insulation material.
• On very cold days, open your loft trap door. This allows warm air from other parts of the house to circulate into the loft and will also help to prevent pipes from freezing.
• Ask a friend or relative to visit your home every day if you are away for an extended period. If you do suffer a burst pipe it will be detected as soon as possible, and the damage caused will be minimised.
• Leave your heating on while you are away from home. In severe weather or if severe weather is forecast, leave your heating on day and night at your usual temperature setting, especially if you are going to be away from home for any length of time.
• Insulating your water tanks
• There are several methods of insulating hot and cold water tanks, depending on the size and shape:

A preformed plastic tank jacket filled with glass fibre matting;
Rigid polystyrene sheeting at least 25mm (1") thick;
Insulating matting, 150mm (6") thick.
Do not insulate underneath any tank. If you place insulation material below the water tank warm air will be unable to rise from the rooms below and the tank is more likely to freeze. The only exception to this rule is header tanks (generally central heating header tanks), which are raised above the level of the joists in the roof space. These tanks should be completely enclosed in an insulating jacket.

Check that your loft insulation is thick enough and still in good condition.
Make sure insulation covers pipes that run between joists. If loft insulation material is placed under the pipes, no warm air will reach them from the rest of the house, and they are more likely to freeze.

Spotted a leak?

The coldness makes the ground freeze and contract which, over a prolonged period can lead to pipes moving, cracking and leaking. A sudden thaw in the cold weather can cause this too.

With your help we can find out about these more quickly and fix them.
If you spot a water leak in a road or public footpath, please call Leakline on 0800 33 00 33. (Textphone 0808 143 0295.) You can also complete this online form.

Power cuts

What to do if there's a power cut

• Keep your freezer and fridge doors closed as much as possible to prevent defrosting
• Leave a light switched on so that you will know when the power is restored
• Take care with candles or other naked flames
• Keep warm by wearing several layers of clothing
• Check on elderly or sick relatives or neighbours.
• If you see fallen power lines or damaged equipment stay well clear but report it to United Utilities. These cables could be live and should not be touched under any circumstances.

Reservoir safety

Frozen reservoirs are very dangerous. It might be tempting to walk or play on the frozen water but the ice can easily break.

The temperature of the water is cold enough to take your breath away, which can lead to panic and drowning.
The coldness can make your arms and legs numb which means you can't control them and can't swim. It can lead to hypothermia - serious reduction in your body temperature - which can cause heart failure.

• Parents - please explain the dangers of playing on frozen reservoirs and lakes to your children.
• Adults - set a good example by staying off the ice yourselves.
• Dog owners - be careful around frozen water and don't throw sticks or balls onto ice. If your dog goes onto the ice and get into difficulty don't attempt to carry out a rescue.

Our message is simple - stay safe, stay off the ice.

More information on reservoir safety