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Maintenance and your home's plumbing

Winter Plumbing Checklist

A few hours of preparation in autumn can prevent the most common – and most damaging – winter plumbing problems. Work through this list before the first frost.

3 min read · Updated October 2026

Icicles hanging from a pipe on a stone wall

Before the cold arrives

  • Find your stopcock, check it turns and make sure everyone knows where it is
  • Lag pipes and cold water tanks in the loft, garage and outbuildings
  • Isolate and drain outside taps, and fit insulated covers
  • Fix dripping taps and overflows – drips can freeze and block pipes
  • Have the boiler serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer
  • Check the heating system pressure and bleed radiators
  • Keep your insurer's and a plumber's contact details handy

During a cold snap

Keep the heating on at a low, steady setting, even when you're out. Open the loft hatch on the coldest nights to let some warmth reach the tank and pipes, and open cupboard doors under sinks on outside walls. If you have a condensing boiler, keep an eye on its condensate pipe outside – a frozen condensate pipe is one of the most common reasons boilers stop in freezing weather.

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If a pipe freezes

Turn off the stopcock, open the affected tap and thaw the pipe gently with a hot water bottle, warm towels or a hairdryer on a low setting – never a naked flame. Check carefully for splits before turning the water back on. If a pipe bursts, turn off the stopcock, switch off electrics near the water if it's safe, and call a plumber.

Empty and rental properties

Empty homes are especially vulnerable: a burst pipe can run for days before anyone notices. Landlords and owners of second homes should arrange regular checks, keep some heating on or drain the system down, and make sure tenants know where the stopcock is.

Common questions

What temperature should I keep my heating on in winter?

Keep it on a low, steady setting during freezing weather. Many boilers also have a frost protection mode.

Should I drain my water system if I'm away?

For long absences in winter, draining down can prevent burst pipes. A plumber can do it properly and refill the system on your return.

How do I lag pipes?

Use foam pipe insulation of the right diameter, cover joints and bends, and don't forget pipes in lofts, garages and under floors.

Keep reading

Frost covering an outdoor pipe and bracket in winter

Frozen pipes: how to thaw them safely and prevent them

A frozen pipe isn't a burst pipe – yet. Thawing it slowly and carefully, and checking for damage before the water comes back on, can save a flooded ceiling.

Red valve wheel on a metal pipe

Stopcocks and isolating valves: a homeowner's guide

Knowing how to turn your water off is the single most useful piece of plumbing knowledge you can have. Here's where to look and how to make sure the valves actually work.

Brass outside tap with a hose connector on a garden post

Installing an outside tap

An outside tap saves trailing hoses through the kitchen window. Fitted properly, with backflow protection and a way to isolate it for winter, it's a simple and useful upgrade.

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