Jump to main content

News & Events

Home » News & Events » 2012 » February » Spate of Burst Pipes Follow Cold Snap

Spate of Burst Pipes Follow Cold Snap

in News

The first call came shortly after 6:30pm on Saturday evening (4 February) where a crew from Bromyard had to isolate supplies of an unoccupied bungalow. Later that evening Kiddermister firefighters were called to isolate supplies to a washing machine as water flooded a domestic property. 


In Hereford, a crew was called to deal with flooding in the roof-space of a city property shortly after 9:20pm. In this case water, gas and electrical supplies had to be isolated and the occupier temporarily re-housed. This crew were once again called upon later that night to isolate supplies in a flooded empty property.

Evesham firefighters were called during Saturday night to isolate water supplies after large volumes of water began to enter a shop premises in the town from a flat above. Then on Sunday evening (5 February), Stourport firefighters were called to reports of flooding at industrial premises.

A similar pattern occurred across Herefordshire and Worcestershire last winter (2010/11), and firefighters are once again encouraging people across the two counties to double check that pipes and tanks are suitably insulated to prevent them from bursting during any future sub-zero weather conditions.

Grant Wills, Community Safety Manager at HWFRS said: "A few simple precautions could save a significant amount of time, money and effort.

"Flooding incidents can be very disruptive and costly for homes and businesses and we are keen to encourage everyone to do what they can to prevent pipes freezing and bursting."

He recommended that pipes are insulated and that people know what to do should a pipe burst, whether at home or at work. This includes identifying where the stop tap is located and knowing how to safely turn off both water and electrical supplies in an emergency.

How to prevent pipes from freezing

  • Fix any leaky taps and replace washers. This will stop water from freezing and blocking the pipe.
  • Leave the heating on low in cold weather as this helps to heat pipes. It is especially important to do this if you are going away or leaving your home unattended for a period of time. The last thing you want is to come home to a flooded house.
  • Leave your loft door or hatch open on really cold days to give heated air a chance to circulate in the loft, warming pipes or tanks.

What to do if your pipes freeze or burst

  • The first thing you must do if your pipes burst or freeze is to turn off the water at the mains, so it's important to find out where your mains are in case of an emergency. Stop taps are usually located under the kitchen sink or in the garage.
  • Contact a plumber to deal with burst pipe repairs.
  • If the pipe has not burst, protect any electrics around the pipe in case it does.
  • If the pipe is next to a gas supply, call a plumber immediately and don't try to thaw it out yourself.