Frozen pipes: How to 'prevent pipes from freezing' - even if you're away from home

With cold weather, and potentially snow on the way, your home could be at risk of being damaged. If temperatures drop significantly, some homes could see their pipes freeze, especially if they’re not insulated properly. Frozen pipes can stop heating and hot water from working properly and can also burst, causing leaks and flooding.

For those away from home this Christmas, The AA recommends setting a timer for central heating.

They said: “If you are away from home in the winter, set the central heating to come on for a short period each day to prevent pipes from freezing.”

Homeowners should also know where their mains water stopcock is and ensure it turns off easily.

In the case of a burst pipe, it is essential to know where this is located to turn the water off.

The AA added: “This should help make sure leaking or burst pipes are spotted early and damage is kept to a minimum (tell them where the stopcock is).

“Freezing winter weather can bring problems for condensing boilers.

“They can sometimes shut down if the condensate pipe freezes – and leave your home without heating just when you need it most.”

Out of hours emergency call outs for burst or leaking pipes can cost hundreds of pounds.

Ensuring pipes and water tanks are insulated should stop homeowners needing to make costly repairs over the Christmas period.