Burst and frozen pipes

Burst and frozen pipes can cause problems in your home, especially during the winter.

There are steps you can take to prevent pipes from freezing or bursting.

These include:

keeping your home as warm as possible, even when it is unoccupied
lagging pipes which are fitted in exposed or draughty areas
leaving the trap door to your roofspace open to let warm air flow in
checking to make sure taps are turned off properly, especially late at night
never using an electric, gas or paraffin heater in your roofspace
familiarising yourself with your water supply and locating the main stopcock which turns off the supply to your property.
write down the name and contact details of a SNIPEF (Scotland & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation) registered plumber in case a pipe does burst.

If you discover a pipe has frozen, follow these tips:

put hot water bottles or a thick cloth, soaked in hot water, over the frozen pipe
begin at the end of the pipe (nearest the tap) and work your way along the pipe
never use a naked flame.

If a pipe bursts, try the following steps:

use the main stopcock to turn off the water supply to your home
if you can't stop the flow of water, drain the system by opening all your cold taps
if the burst pipe is in your storage tank, turn off the stop valve (this is inside your storage tank)
drain the system by turning on all your hot taps, allowing the fire to burn out
turn your heating off until a plumber has examined the burst pipe.

More information

Northern Ireland Water

You can also contact Northern Ireland Water on 0845 744 0088. (Northern Ireland Water is only responsible for pipes located outside of your property. For problems with pipes on your property, you should contact your landlord or a plumber).

Northern Ireland Water has also produced a helpful document, Advice on Protecting Your Water Pipes in Winter, which contains information about how to avoid frost damage to your home.

Watch NI Water's advice on how to protect your pipes video

Northern Ireland Housing Executive

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive's district offices and Northern Ireland Water both provide practical advice on how to protect your property from damage during severe cold weather.

Call the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) on 0344 892 0900 to find your nearest district office. (Please note that the NIHE can only deal with enquiries from Housing Executive tenants).