The winter plumbing checklist for Northampton homes

Every December I get the same calls: burst external pipes, frozen condensate drains, boiler lockouts after first heavy frost. Every single one of them is preventable in 30 minutes of October prep work. Here's the checklist I'd give my own family.

1. Lag every external pipe

Walk the outside of the house. Find every visible pipe — outside taps, condensate drain from your boiler, any plumbing in unheated outbuildings. Foam pipe insulation from Screwfix is £2-£3 per metre. Wrap them all. The condensate drain especially — if it freezes, your boiler will lock out and you'll have no heating until it thaws. £3 of foam saves you a £300 emergency call-out.

2. Find your stop-cock and test it

Usually under the kitchen sink, sometimes near the front door. Find it, turn it off, then turn a tap on to verify it actually shut the water off. If the tap still flows, your stop-cock is shot and needs replacing. £125 fix. Worth it — a working stop-cock is your only line of defence against a major leak.

3. Boiler service

Annual boiler service is required for most manufacturer warranties to stay valid. £105 in Northampton. Catches small issues (worn diverter valve, low pressure, sludge buildup) before they become winter failures. Book it in October at the latest.

4. Bleed your radiators

Cold spots at the top of radiators = air in the system. Bleed each radiator (radiator key, £2 at any hardware shop) until water flows steadily. Then check the boiler pressure — refill to 1.5 bar if needed. Takes 20 minutes for a whole house and improves heating efficiency immediately.

5. Drain external taps

If you have an outside tap (most Northampton homes do), isolate it. Find the isolation valve inside the house, close it, then leave the outside tap open over winter. Any water in the pipe drains out before it can freeze and split the copper. £0 cost, prevents the most common winter burst pipe.

“Spend 30 minutes in October so you don't spend a weekend in January mopping up.”

If you want me to do the lot in one visit — full home plumbing audit + winter prep — I do an annual audit for £295 that includes everything above plus stop-cock test, pressure check and a written report. WhatsApp me to book it before the cold hits.