. . . its cold outside!

When the temperatures drop, here are a few things you can do to keep your pipes healthy.

If your taps or faucets freeze

• Leave the doors of bathroom and kitchen cabinets open to allow more heat to get to your pipes.

• If the temperature drops really low, run a little water from your taps every day – letting the water run into the sink slowly.

• Be sure to heat every room of your home and don’t leave some rooms cold. Allowing heat to circulate freely throughout the house will minimise the risk of freezing pipework.

If you get a cracked or burst pipe this winter

• First thing’s first, turn off the water at your main shut-off valve (stopcock), that way you won’t have problems when the ice melts.

• Keep your taps and outlets open to help relieve pressure as the ice melts.

• Use a hair dryer or a heat gun to thaw frozen pipework out – see above

• DO NOT use blow torches or open flames to thaw pipes as this can lead to pipes cracking.