When water is inside your pipes, it can freeze and cause damage by expanding until the pipe can no longer stretch to contain it. If your pipes do freeze, you must defrost them slowly and carefully.

Take the following steps

• Do this first
  Turn the water supply off at the inside stop valve (usually found under the kitchen sink)
• Use a hairdryer at its lowest setting to thaw pipes. Thaw along the pipe starting from the end nearest the tap. Be very careful not to warm them too quickly as they may burst.

Steps you should not take

• Don't use a blow lamp, heat gun or any other naked flame
• Don't leave taps running or dripping. The water may not flush down the plug hole if the pipes below are frozen.

• Use our Clickable house to locate your inside stop valve

Frozen supply pipes

If you find yourself without water, it could be that water has frozen inside the pipes. In the first instance, please check with your next-door neighbours. If they've not got the same problem then it may be that your supply pipe has frozen, in which case you should contact a plumber.

• View our list of approved plumbers

If your neighbours are experiencing the same problem, please call us on 0845 9200 800 as it may be a problem with our pipes. Our lines are open 24 hours a day. (Minicom or Typetalk: 0845 7200 898).

• View our cold weather tips