Winter Home

Avoid the winter freeze

How to avoid pipes freezing in winter and how Privilege home insurance covers you if something goes wrong. 

Everyone likes to keep nice and snug in the winter months. But as many people have discovered over the years, the cold weather can cause all sorts of problems. Perhaps the one that everyone is at risk of is frozen water pipes, which can not only be inconvenient, but can cause significant damage as well.

Here are some helpful tips from Anglian Water to try and help avoid this problem in your home:

• Insulate pipes, water tanks and cisterns, especially in unheated areas like lofts and underfloor spaces. Use good quality foam lagging
• Fix any dripping taps – a trickle of water can freeze and completely block a pipe
• Let warm air circulate through the building, and leave the loft hatch ajar to keep the roof-space warm
• If you are going away during the winter, leave the central heating on low, or turn the water supply off at the stopcock and drain the system.

If pipes or tanks do become frozen, then follow these useful steps:

• Turn off the water at the mains stop cock
• Before you start to thaw the system, remove any furniture or equipment that may get damaged by melting ice and water
• Gently warm frozen pipes with a hairdryer or hot water bottle. You should open the tap closest to the frozen pipe, and begin thawing the pipe from the tap side of the frozen area
• Remember – although damage to pipes occurs when they freeze, the burst only becomes apparent when the pipe starts to thaw.
• If a pipe or tank should actually burst, turn off the water at the main stopcock immediately and switch off all central heating and other water heating installations.  Let water in the system drain out by turning on all the taps and then call in a professional plumber to make the repairs.

With Privilege, any plumbing installation damaged by frozen or burst pipes is covered as standard under our buildings insurance policy (however this does not apply to plumbing that is outside or in an outbuilding). What’s more, should the worst happen and you need emergency help, our Emergency Helpline on 0845 601 3004 (operated by Homeserve plc) can find you a suitably qualified tradesman right away. They will call to let you know what to do and when they'll arrive, and you will be billed by Homeserve plc at a specially negotiated rate. The damage may be covered by your Privilege Home Insurance and if so you can simply reclaim the cost of the repair less any excess. 

To find out the exact level of cover available, simply read our home insurance policy booklet. And then why not get a Privilege online home insurance quote right away.

Click here for a home insurance quote  in minutes!