As the very cold weather continues, Scottish Water is sharing important advice and information on keeping your home safe this winter by protecting your pipes and knowing what to do if they freeze.

Scottish Water’s key tips include:

Protect your pipes
Pipes new or old don’t like the cold, they can freeze, crack or burst which causes unwanted damage to homes. Insulating pipes can save a lot of hassle and money.

Find your stop valve
If your pipes freeze or burst, you must locate the stop valve and turn it off immediately. It is commonly located under a sink (kitchen or utility room), in a garage or close to the hot water system.

If a pipe freezes
Turn off the stop valve immediately and open all COLD taps to drain the system, but NEVER turn on the hot taps – if you have a hot water cylinder it may collapse if the pipes leading to it are frozen.
Call a licensed plumber if you are in any doubt about what to do.

Thawing out your pipes
Never attempt to thaw out frozen pipes by switching on your immersion heater or central heating boiler. Instead, check for leaking joints or bursts in the pipes. If it is safe to do so, then gently heat any frozen sections with a heated cloth wrapped around the pipe. Never apply a direct flame.

Find further advice and information on Scottish Water’s website: Helpful resources – Scottish Water