Dwr Cymru Welsh Water’s ‘Wrap Up’ campaign is reminding customers to make sure water pipes in their homes and businesses are protected to avoid the disruption and expense frozen pipes can cause.

Severe cold weather, as we saw in Wales back in March, can cause water pipes to freeze and burst – leaving homes and businesses with no water, low pressure or even flooding.

Frozen water expands and can crack even the strongest pipe. You may not notice this immediately, and only know you have a problem when the cracked pipe thaws and water starts leaking from it. Urgent and expensive repairs are then needed to fix the problem.

Customers can protect their pipes with cheap insulation or lagging kits, which are available from local homeware or DIY stores.

Businesses, schools and buildings like community centres or chapels are particularly vulnerable to burst pipes during the winter. This is because they are often empty for days, meaning a burst pipe – inside or outside the building – can go unnoticed and cause huge volumes of water to leak and flood.

When a problem occurs on pipes in homes it is the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord – therefore it’s worth taking time to check they are well insulated.

Peter Perry, Welsh Water’s Managing Director, said: “Frozen pipes which burst can cause unnecessary inconvenience and expense – which is distressing at this time of year – however this can be easily avoided by taking a few moments to check and protect the pipes.

“Our teams will be working 24/7 to keep things flowing, but we also need a little help from our customers, by making sure their homes and businesses are ready for winter.

“So, please take a minute to insulate any outdoor pipes or taps or taps in a cold place like a loft or garage, fix any dripping taps, make sure you know where your stop tap is, and keep the number of a qualified plumber handy in case the worst happens. We’ve got lots of more advice and how-to videos on dwrcymru.com/coldweather”