With temperatures falling and predicted to edge towards freezing, Willmott Dixon Partnerships is reminding Birmingham residents to take steps to protect their homes and stop cold weather problems from 'boiling' over during the winter months.

The leading repairs and maintenance expert is offering some simple advice to local residents to keep their boilers running and prevent their pipes from freezing over as temperatures remain low.

Les Shortman, Willmott Dixon's south Birmingham branch manager, said, "Condensing boilers are the most common type of new boiler. They are great in the way that they are 10-20 per cent more efficient than older boiler models, but the bad news is that the system is more likely to freeze up in very cold temperatures. If the temperature outside is in the minuses and your condensing boiler isn't working, or displaying an error, then your condensate pipe could be frozen."

Pauline Chatt, Willmott Dixon's north Birmingham branch manager, added,  "This could stop your central heating system from working and cause the temperature to drop in your home, causing even more problems, like frozen water pipes which then thaw and burst. 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."

Pauline continued, "The most important piece of advice to prevent your water pipes freezing, and potentially bursting, is to lag or insulate your water pipes. Cheap kits are available online and at most DIY stores and can save you a lot of misery and expense. We would advise keeping your heating on a constant low temperature during frosty weather to prevent pipes from freezing. This is also a more energy efficient way to heat your home than switching the system on and off repeatedly.

"If a pipe on a condensing boiler has frozen, you can thaw it out by placing a hot water bottle on the pipe, or pouring warm water on it, before resetting your thermostat."

Willmott Dixon also advises that if residents are away from home for any length of time they should turn off the water supply and drain the system - but check first with a qualified plumber or heating engineer that they're following the correct instructions for any particular heating system.

During the winter months be fully prepared for a temperature drop and 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.