Keep your home warm and leak free throughout the winter months

It’s that time of year when the temperature starts to drop and we get the big coats back out of the cupboard. It’s also the time to start preparing your home for the colder weather.
First job is to get your boiler serviced, so it’s fighting fit and ready to keep you and your home cosy and warm all winter.
Another really important thing to remember is protecting your pipes if we have a prolonged cold snap.

Frozen pipes cause leaks
If the temperature drops below freezing for a few days, exposed pipes in unheated places like your loft or garage can freeze and burst as the water inside them turns to ice and expands.
When temperatures rise the pipes thaw, causing leaks which could damage your home – in extreme cases even causing ceilings to collapse. The damage can be especially bad if you’re away and the leak goes unnoticed for days.

Follow our checklist of simple steps you can take to help to prevent problems and the need for expensive repairs.

Your Winter Water Health Check
1. Look after your boiler
An unexpected spell of cold weather is often the time people find out their boiler or heating system has a problem. Get it serviced at the start of winter and you’ll know it’s fighting fit and working efficiently to keep you warm until spring.
2. Find your stop tap
If you know exactly where your stop tap is, you’ll be able to turn the water off quicker in an emergency. Stop taps are often located under your kitchen sink, but may also be under the stairs, near your front door or in the pavement outside your home.
3. Going away? Leave the heating on low.
If you’re going on holiday or visiting relatives for Christmas and leaving the house empty, don’t forget to keep your heating on low (min 14ºC). This will help to stop your pipes freezing and reduce the chances of coming back to burst pipes and a soggy home.
4. Check your outdoor taps
Look for drips, these can freeze and cause a build-up of ice that can cause the pipes to freeze back into your home. Wrap them up or fit a tap jacket.
5. Protect exposed pipes
Look after pipes that are in locations exposed to cold air – the garage, loft or outdoors. Wrap them up with lagging or fit pipe insulation to help prevent them freezing and bursting, then flooding your home when it thaws.

Did you know, cold weather causes leaks and bursts in underground water pipes too?
When the ground freezes it shrinks and moves, putting pressure on underground pipes, which can cause splits and burst mains. The problem is especially bad in older parts of the network.

This means that our fixing teams are often a lot busier than usual in winter, with more chance of supply interruptions. We have to prioritise the big leaks, so it may take a bit longer to fix the smaller ones.

Our contact centre may also receive a lot more calls and messages from customers about frozen and burst pipes. We really appreciate your patience if the wait is a little longer than usual to get through.

If you need extra help in the event of water supply interruption this winter, you can sign up for our Priority Services Register.

Investing to stop the drips
We’re investing in our network to stop leaks and save water. Replacing our old pipes so they are tougher and less likely to develop leaks in winter. You can learn more at bristolwater.co.uk/every-drip

Every drip we stop and every drop you save helps tackle climate change, protect our rivers, reduce bills and keep your water flowing.

#EverydripEverydrop bristolwater.co.uk/every-drip-every-drop