Frozen Pipes

A frozen pipe is a burst pipe that has not happened yet. Ice expands, the pipe splits, and you find out when it thaws and the water arrives through the ceiling.

What to do first

Turn off the water at the stopcock. Open the taps on the affected run so there is somewhere for pressure to go. Do not use a blowtorch or any naked flame on a pipe, and do not pour boiling water on it either. Both make things worse.

Then ring us.

How we thaw safely

We warm the pipe gradually and evenly, and we check the whole run afterwards for splits that have already happened but not yet shown. A pipe that has been frozen once will often have a weak point, and it is better to find it while the water is off than after you have refilled the system.

Preventing it happening again

Most frozen pipes in Sligo are in unheated spaces: attics, garages, outhouses and along external walls. Lagging is cheap and effective. Attic pipework and attic tanks are the priority, particularly in houses that empty out over the winter.

If you have a holiday home or a rental around Strandhill, Rosses Point or Enniscrone that sits empty in the cold months, drain it down or leave the heating ticking over low.