Before the weather turns really cold and frosty, the message from Willmott Dixon Partnerships for Birmingham residents is 'Don't crack up, wrap up'.

The leading repairs and maintenance expert is offering some simple advice to local residents to help avoid the inconvenience and expense that a frost damaged pipe can cause.

Last year's low temperatures and freezing then rapidly thawing pipes caused big problems and heartache for local residents and business owners across the region.

Pauline Chatt, Willmott Dixon's north Birmingham branch manager, said: "Burst pipes can cause misery and inconvenience for people whose homes are affected, and millions of pounds worth of damage a year. Some damage can be repaired, but a flood from a burst pipe could ruin treasured personal possessions which can never be replaced. However, there are some simple steps which can be taken to protect your home from winter weather and avoid unnecessary stress."

Les Shortman, Willmott Dixon's south Birmingham branch manager, added: "The most important piece of advice is to lag or insulate your water pipes. Preparing your pipe work ahead of the cold weather anticipated this winter is easy to do; cheap kits are available online and at most DIY stores and can save you a lot of misery and expense. We would also advise keeping your heating on a constant low temperature during frosty weather to prevent pipes from freezing."

If you are away from home for any length of time turn off the water supply and drain the system - but check first with your plumber or heating engineer that it's the right thing for your particular heating system.

In preparation for the cold weather, make sure that you know where your stoptap is located - it's usually under the kitchen sink. It's a good idea to check out a reputable plumber and have their details to hand in case of an emergency.

If freezing has occurred you should:

·         Isolate the affected area by closing the stopcock (always clockwise) on that supply. If it cannot be closed, you should close the external boundary stopcock.

·         Open taps to sinks, basins, etc to drain the plumbing system when the thaw takes place.

Thawing out:

·      Before you start to thaw out the system move anything that could be damaged by water escaping from burst pipes.

·      Do not try to thaw out pipes using a naked flame such as a blowlamp. Instead, use a hot water bottle or a hairdryer, but take care, there may be a burst pipe that could spray water as it thaws.

Les warns, "After freezing has occurred there can be a risk of explosion if heat is applied suddenly. Don't switch on any water heating appliances, boilers, immersion heaters, etc until you are sure that the system has thawed out.  You should also be careful of your wiring or electrical appliances as they may have been affected by the burst. If you are in any doubt, turn off your electricity at the mains and call an electrician. If there is damage to your water pipes you may also need to call a plumber."

Willmott Dixon Partnerships is currently working with Birmingham City Council to repair and maintain 60,000 properties in the city. It's two contracts for the north and south of the city includes the areas of Edgbaston, Hall Green, Northfield, Selly Oak, Ladywood, Erdington, Perry Bar and Sutton Coldfield. It aims to reduce the cost of this service by £47m over the five year terms of the two contracts.

Willmott Dixon Group is one of the UK's second largest privately-owned capital works, regeneration and support services companies.

With over 158 years of experience, the company provides services within the built environment to Government, registered social landlords, local authorities and private sector clients throughout the UK.

Willmott Dixon Partnerships works within the Group to deliver support services to over 120,000 homes, 1,200 public buildings and 50 commercial properties across the UK.