Winter plumbing checklist for East Midlands homes

Nearly every burst pipe we attend in January could have been avoided by twenty minutes of work in October. Here is the list, in the order we would do it.

1. Find your stop tap and turn it

Everyone in the house should know where it is. Turn it off and on twice a year so it does not seize. If it is already stiff, get it replaced now rather than discovering the problem during an emergency.

2. Lag the pipes in cold spaces

Loft, garage, cellar and anything running along an outside wall. Foam lagging costs very little from any merchant and slides straight on. Pay particular attention to the pipes furthest from the boiler, because they freeze first.

3. Drain the outside tap

Turn off the isolator valve inside, then open the outside tap to let the water out and leave it open over winter. A frozen outside tap can split the pipe inside the wall, which is a far bigger job than it sounds.

4. Bleed the radiators

Cold at the top and warm at the bottom means trapped air. Bleeding them makes the heating work properly, which keeps the whole house warmer and the pipework less likely to freeze.

• Turn the heating off and let it cool
• Hold a cloth under the valve and open it with a bleed key
• Close it as soon as water appears
• Check the boiler pressure afterwards and top up if needed

5. Set the heating to tick over when you are away

If you are away in winter, leave the heating on low rather than off. It costs a little but it keeps the pipework above freezing. If the property is empty for a long period, turn the water off at the stop tap and drain the system.

6. Check for the drips you have got used to

A slow drip under the sink or a weeping valve is easy to ignore all summer. Cold weather turns small problems into big ones, so get them sorted while it is still a small job.

If a pipe does freeze

Turn the water off at the stop tap, then thaw the pipe gently with a hot water bottle or towels soaked in warm water, starting at the end nearest the tap. Never use a naked flame. Once it has thawed, check carefully for splits before you turn the water back on, because the damage often only shows when pressure returns.