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A tap that's slowed to a dribble on a frosty morning isn't a crisis yet. Four calm stops keep it that way.
My pipe's frozen — what do I do? Close the stopcock as insurance in case it's already split, then warm the pipe gently from the tap end back — a hairdryer on low, or towels soaked in warm water. Never a flame, never boiling water poured straight on. If the pipe has already split, stop thawing and ring 020 4577 2888 to be put through to a local plumber.
Anywhere unheated and exposed — lofts, garages, outbuildings, external walls, outside taps. Our weather being mild-then-sharp, rather than steadily cold, is exactly what catches pipes out.
Down by the Quoile the winters tend to be damp more than bitter, and that's precisely the trap: a mild fortnight lulls everyone into leaving pipes uninsulated, then a hard frost rolls in overnight and any run of pipe without lagging turns to a solid stick of ice before morning. A tap that won't run, or barely dribbles, after a cold night is the classic first sign — check it before you assume the mains supply itself has failed.
Out across rural Lecale — long farm lanes towards Clough and Crossgar, exposed gables on the coast at Ardglass and Killough — supply runs are often longer and less protected than a compact house in town, and outbuildings rarely get the same insulating attention as the main house. If you know your own place has a stretch of exposed pipe, that's the one worth watching every time the forecast turns sharp.
Stopcock off first, then gentle heat from the tap end backwards, with patience as the main ingredient. Rushing it is how a frozen pipe becomes a burst one.
If flow hasn't returned after a patient go at this, or if you can see or hear anything suggesting the pipe has already given way, stop and call rather than pushing on.
Everything. Stop thawing, keep the stopcock closed, and get a plumber to the actual repair. Reopening the water on a split pipe just schedules the flood for later.
A split usually doesn't show itself until the ice around it melts — which means the pipe can look and feel perfectly frozen while already broken underneath. If you notice a bulge, a crack, or water beginning to weep as the thaw progresses, treat it as burst: leave the stopcock closed, don't continue applying heat to force the thaw, and don't be tempted to open the water "just to check" — that check is exactly how a slow drip becomes a fast flood.
This is also where a self-inflicted mistake commonly happens: someone thaws the visible ice, hears the tap start running, and reopens the stopcock in relief — only for the actual split, further along the pipe, to let go once full pressure returns. If in doubt, leave the water off and let the plumber confirm the pipe is sound before it goes back into service.
Foam pipe lagging, an afternoon's work, on every exposed run you can reach. It's the cheapest plumbing job most people will ever do themselves.
Before the first proper frost each year, walk the loft, the garage, any outbuilding, and check pipework against cold external walls. Slip-on foam lagging is cheap, cuts to length with scissors, and fits around most straight runs and elbows without any special skill. Outside taps deserve particular attention — fit an insulated tap cover, and if the tap has an internal isolation valve, close it and drain the outside run for winter rather than leaving it live.
For rural properties out through Lecale with longer runs, or pipework buried shallow along an old lane, it's worth asking a plumber to take a look on any visit for something else — lagging a few extra metres while they're already there costs far less than a callout for a burst weeks later. It's the one guide on this site where the best outcome is that you never need the rest of it.
Timing and weather are the giveaway — a tap that ran fine yesterday and now barely dribbles, during or just after a hard frost, is almost always ice. An airlock tends to sputter and spit air rather than slow to a trickle, and isn't tied to the temperature outside. If in doubt, treat it as frozen and be gentle.
A hairdryer on a low or medium setting, kept moving and not held against one spot, is a genuinely safe and common way to thaw a pipe — just never near standing water, and never left unattended plugged in. Work from the tap end back towards the blockage, which lets melting ice escape rather than building pressure.
This site doesn't sell or price lagging, but foam pipe insulation is inexpensive and widely available, and fitting it over an afternoon on exposed loft, garage or outbuilding pipework is well within most people's own ability. For pipes that are awkward to reach, a plumber can lag them as part of any autumn visit.
It matters more than it looks. An outside tap left connected over winter is one of the most common places for a hidden split, because the short run of pipe just inside the wall often isn't lagged at all. If yours has been frozen, it's worth checking that stretch of pipe for a leak once it thaws, before you use it again.
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