Freeze thaw advice

As the region enters a freeze thaw - when the temperature goes from extreme cold to much warmer - Yorkshire Water is readying its leakage detection and repair teams to be on hand if an increase in bursts and leaks caused by ground movement impacting the pipe network occurs.

While Yorkshire Water looks after its network of underground pipes and assets, pipes in the homes, gardens or driveways that are generally the homeowner’s responsibility to look after, are just as susceptible to bursts or leaks in these temperatures. Recent cold weather has also led to household pipes freezing, leaving homeowners with no water and potential damage.

Homes are particularly at risk if they have exposed water pipes on the outside of the house or an outdoor tap, which are vulnerable to the cold weather.  

One way to prevent a frozen pipe is to wrap them in foam insulation to protect them from the cold weather, which is also known as lagging.  

Aimee Linfoot from Yorkshire Water said: “You may see us out and about more over the next week – such a big fluctuation in ground temperatures can cause the ground to move and damage our pipes, so we will have teams out fixing any issues as quickly as we can.

“You can also protect your home from frozen pipes by having a look for pipes, taps, cisterns, tanks and water meters in unheated areas that might be exposed to the cold. If you find any, cut a piece of lagging to size and clip it on. If you’ve got some cable ties handy, pop a couple on to keep it secure. This will also help insulate your hot water system and could save you money on heating bills. Protect your outdoor taps with a tap cover to stop them freezing.

“For those customers worried about accessing their exposed pipes or their water meter, take a look at our free Priority Services Register to see if we can help in any way.”

Customers that think they have a frozen pipe should:  

• First, check all exposed pipes for any leaks or bursts, if you can't see anything then turn the tap on at your kitchen sink and heat the pipe with a hairdryer. Never ever use a naked flame to defrost a pipe.
• If a pipe has burst then turn your water off at the stop tap to minimise damage and water loss and find a trusted plumber via Water Safe.

Or follow this handy video for more help: Yorkshire Water // How to thaw a frozen pipe

For more information on being winter ready, visit https://www.yorkshirewater.com/help-and-advice/winterready  

For more information on Yorkshire Water’s free Priority Services Register, go to: https://www.yorkshirewater.com/bill-account/priority-services-register/