Fully lag all pipes and tanks in the loft space, or anywhere else which may be liable to freezing. Use preformed pipe insulation on all pipe runs. Check with your DIY store to see how thick this should be. Wrap bends or hard-to-get-at pipes with securely fixed strips of insulation material. Repair any dripping taps and check your loft insulation is thick enough and still in good condition. Make sure it has not been damaged or disturbed since you last looked at it.

Do not insulate underneath any tank. If you place insulation material below any water tank, warm air will be unable to rise from the rooms below and keep it warm, and the tank is more likely to freeze. The only exception to this rule is header tanks (generally central heating header tanks), which are raised above the level of the joists in the roof space. These tanks should be completely enclosed in an insulating jacket.

Make sure it is placed over any pipes which run between the joists. This will enclose them in the "insulation envelope" of the house. If loft insulation material is placed under the pipes, no warm air will reach them from the rest of the house, and they are more likely to freeze.

Insulate the top and sides of the tanks with one of the following:

• a preformed plastic tank jacket filled with glass fibre matting;
• rigid polystyrene sheeting at least 25mm (1") thick;
• insulation matting, 150mm (6") thick.

If pipes or tanks are frozen:

Turn off the water at the main stop cock. If there is a stop cock fitted on the system side of the header tank, that is, to stop water leaving the tank, this should also be turned off too. Do this even if you only suspect your pipes are frozen, since they could also have burst, and, by turning off the water, you will reduce the amount of water which can escape and so minimise damage to your home.
If a pipe has burst: Turn off the water at the main supply stop cock. If water is coming through the ceiling, collect it in buckets. If the ceiling starts to bulge, pierce the plaster with a broom handle to let the water through.

Before you start to thaw the system, do what you can to protect or remove anything which might be damaged by thawing water running from the burst, then follow the procedure below:

1. Thaw the pipe.
2. Use a hairdryer or hot water bottle - DO NOT USE A BLOW LAMP OR HEAT GUN.
3. Open the tap closest to the frozen part of the pipe.
4. Begin thawing the pipe from the tap side of the frozen area, by heating it gently, and work back towards the header tank.
5. Switch off the central heating and any other water heating installations at the same time, to avoid further damage, or even an explosion.
6. Open all your taps to drain the system.

If your wiring, or any electrical appliances have been affected, do not touch them until they have been checked by a professional electrician. If in doubt, turn off your electricity at the mains.
Call in a professional plumber to make repairs. If your insurance company has an emergency helpline, they should be able to help find a good local firm.
Contact your insurance company for further information on how to make a claim. Have your insurance details available, if at all possible, as this may help speed up the processing of your claim.