The festive season is just around the corner and Severn Trent customers are being encouraged to get their wrapping done a little early this year… but not how you think.

As the unsettled weather continues, we are asking everyone to think about taking steps to start wrapping their pipes and get prepared for whatever weather appears including freezing temperatures and icy conditions.

The cold can cause a whole host of issues for water pipes because when water freezes it expands and this is what puts pressure on pipes and joints, causing them to split or pull apart.

Jodie Bowen, Customer Contact Lead at Severn Trent, said: “Freezing temperatures can cause a lot of problems for pipes around the home and customers who have to deal with them, so we want to make sure that everyone is prepared, and we can all ‘weather the winter together’. 

“Just to remind everyone, Severn Trent is responsible for water mains and service pipes in the public highway, anything inside a property boundary is the responsibility of the homeowner.

“This is why we are encouraging everyone to start their wrapping now, so that their pipes are protected, which will help to avoid any potential unwanted issues and expense if a pipe burst occurs. We have put together a few handy tips and tricks of what to do and look out for.”

There are many ways to prepare your home, and customers are being encouraged to share these with loved ones and neighbours to help keep them protected over the winter months. Tips and advice include:

• Wrap all pipework, fittings, and storage tanks in unheated areas of your home (such as lofts, roofs, outbuildings and garages) with insulation. It’s best to use good quality waterproof foam which can 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. 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. 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 
   

• Customers are also reminded to checking you can turn stop taps easily, as they can often get stuck if they’re not used very often. Finding that it’s stuck or broken when you’ve had a burst may just complicate the problem further 
   

• 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

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. 

Further information on how to get the home ready for winter can be found here.