Following Met Office warnings that severe cold weather is set to hit the UK this week, Severn Trent is encouraging its customers to take steps to ensure their pipes don’t freeze.

Cold weather can wreak havoc on water pipes – when water freezes it expands, putting more pressure on pipes and joints, which can cause pipes to split or joints to pull apart. But the company has shared a few quick and easy ways everyone can prepare their home for winter:

• Wrap all pipework, fittings, and storage tanks in unheated areas of your home (such as lofts, roofs, outbuildings and garages) with insulation. Severn Trent is offering free pipe lagging this winter for customers through it’s Get Water Fit initiative while stocks last. Waterproof foam lagging can also be found at your local DIY store

• If you have outside taps, either insulate them or drain them down to the pipework that links to the tap - Severn Trent is also offering ‘tap jackets’ through it’s Get Water Fit initiative while stocks last. Don’t worry too much about the underground water pipes which lead to your home. These should be buried deep enough to protect them from the frost

• Make sure that you and other members of your household know where your stop tap is located so that it can be reached quickly in an emergency, and most importantly, check that it’s working properly. Stop taps are usually located under the kitchen sink, in the garage or in a ground floor utility room or bathroom, near to where the water supply pipe first enters your home. A stop tap isn’t used very often and finding that it’s stuck or broken when you’ve had a burst will only complicate the problem

• Registered plumbers can also check household pipes to make sure they’re properly lagged and fill in any gaps. Severn Trent supports watersafe.org.uk – a dedicated online search facility for qualified and approved plumbers

Head of Water Treatment, Stephanie Cawley, said: “Before you turn your attention to your Christmas wrapping, why not spend an hour or so lagging external pipes around your property – it could save you time and money.

“Severn Trent is responsible for the water mains and service pipes in the public highway, which is something that not many people realise. Anything inside the property boundary is the responsibility of the homeowner.

“This is why we’d love our customers to spread these important messages with their friends, family and neighbours to make sure we all weather the winter together this festive season.”

If you do have a problem with your water supply this winter, with either low pressure or no water coming out of your taps, first check to see if your neighbours are having similar trouble. This will help establish if the issue is on Severn Trent’s network or on your own supply pipe. If your neighbours’ water supply is normal it is likely that you will need to call a plumber. If more than one household is affected, you’ll need to ring Severn Trent’s 24-hour emergency number to report the problem - 0800 783 4444. 

You can order free pipe and tap jackets this year via Severn Trent’s Get Water Fit initiative while stocks last - https://www.stwater.co.uk/wonderful-on-tap/save-water/get-water-fit/#/