Renfrewshire Council

What causes frozen pipes

The most common reasons for frozen pipes are:

• poorly protected pipes that are not properly insulated
• exposure to icy draughts, usually caused by cracks or gaps where the pipe enters your home
• warm air or heating not reaching pipes in cupboards if the cupboard doors are closed.

How to prevent frozen pipes

Get your house insulated

There are some things you can do prevent frozen pipes and keep the heat in your home including:

• getting your loft and the sides of your water tanks insulated and 
• wrapping your pipes in lagging to prevent them getting damaged or bursting - lagging is a foam material that insulates them by keeping the heat in the pipes
• filling in wall gaps or cracks.

To get insulation or lagging installed, or wall gaps or cracks filled, ask for this through the Report a housing repair online form.

Turn the heating and hot water on regularly

Many modern boilers have a frost protection thermostat which turns on automatically if the temperature drops enough for your pipes to freeze. You should check this is working properly.

In very cold weather, you may need to leave your heating on a low setting, or set it to come on a couple of times a day, especially if you're going to be away from your home for more than a few days.

Open cupboard doors when the heating is on to prevent the pipes inside from freezing. 

Find where the stopcock is

Make sure you know where the stopcock is in your home. Check that you can turn it off easily in an emergency.

If you can't find your stopcocks, phone our repair service on 0300 300 0300.

If you're going to be away from your home

If your property is going to be empty for a while more than a few days during winter:

• make sure the water is turned off at the mains
• leave the central heating on low
• ask a friend or relative to check your home regularly to make sure that your pipes haven't burst or frozen.
• let your housing officer know if there is any risk of water pipes freezing whilst you are away.

If you think your pipes are frozen

Check with your neighbours first to see if they also have problems with their water supply. If they do, the problem is probably the mains water supply and you'll need to call Scottish Water on 0345 601 8855.

If you're the only one without water, you probably have a frozen pipe. Try to defrost it as quickly as possible, as the ice could expand and cause the pipe to burst and leak thawed water.

How to defrost frozen pipes

Step 1: Find where the pipe is blocked

If one of your pipes is frozen, find out where the blockage of frozen ice is first.

Do this by:

• looking for signs of freezing along the pipes.
• using your hands to feel along the pipe until you find a section that feels colder than the rest of the pipe.

During very cold weather, you may find more than one section of a pipe has frozen. This is more likely to occur where pipes are exposed to draughts or where a pipe enters your home.

Step 2: Protect your possessions and furniture

If a pipe is frozen, protect everything around it to avoid any damage if it bursts. Move smaller items out of the way and cover up larger items.

Step 3: Turn off the stopcock

Turn the water off at the stopcock to prevent any more leaking. The stopcock is a tap that controls the water flow from the mains water supply into your home. It is usually found under the kitchen sink or in your hallway.

If you have a cold water tank, the stopcock is usually found in the attic or loft.

Step 4: Run the closest tap

Run the cold tap closest to the part of the pipe that's frozen. This will allow melting water to flow away from the section of frozen pipe.

Step 5: Start defrosting the pipe

Slowly and carefully thaw the ice in the pipe with a hairdryer, starting at the top end and working backwards towards the cold water tank. Do not hold the hairdryer too close to the pipes. Take care as the pipe could burst at any time and spray water as it starts to thaw.

If you don't have a hairdryer, you can slowly thaw out the frozen section of the pipe by covering it with hot water bottles or heat packs.

Never use a naked flame or a heat gun to thaw out ice, as this is a fire hazard and could damage your pipes.

Step 6: Check the pipe for damage

Once you've thawed out your pipes, check them thoroughly for any signs of damage, like cracks; bulges; or leaks. If the pipes are damaged, tell us by phoning 0300 300 0300.

Step 7: Turn on the taps

Once the blockage has thawed, turn your stopcock back on and run the water until it starts running at a normal flow.

Report a burst pipe

Phone us

If a frozen pipe has burst in your home, phone us on 0300 300 0300.

What to do after a pipe has burst

If a frozen pipe does burst, it's important to remove the leaked water and sort out any damage to your home and possessions.

Dry out your home

Dry out any affected rooms by keeping doors and windows open where possible, and leave your heating on. 

Leave cupboard doors and drawers open to allow them to dry more quickly. 

A dehumidifier can also help with drying out the room further. Email us at repairs@renfrewshire.gov.uk to ask us about getting one.

Keep any damaged items

Don't throw away any water-damaged possessions or furnishings straight away, as your insurance company may need to take a look at them. Store everything together in a dry place.

Check your insurance policy

Check your insurance policy as soon as possible. This may cover the costs of temporary accommodation for you and your family if you need it. The council does not provide home contents insurance for furniture, belongings or decor damaged by burst pipes. 

If you're a council tenant, you can join the AVIVA contents insurance scheme or make your own arrangements for home contents insurance.