Frozen and burst pipes in an Edinburgh winter
Last reviewed 2 October 2026 by the Edinburgh Plumbing Quotes team
The short answer
Edinburgh's cold snaps freeze pipes in lofts, outside walls, unheated stairwells and garages. If a tap runs dry on a freezing morning, turn the stopcock off before you thaw the pipe, then warm it gently from the tap end with warm towels or a low hairdryer. Never use a flame. If it has split, keep the water off and get a plumber. A frozen condensate pipe outside a combi boiler can be cleared with warm, not boiling, water.
Step by step
- Close your stopcock first: a frozen pipe has often already cracked, and the leak only shows once the ice melts.
- Leave the tap on that pipe open so water has somewhere to go.
- Apply gentle heat, such as a hot-water bottle, warm cloths or a hairdryer on low, starting nearest the tap and working along the pipe.
- As it thaws, look along the run, including behind bath panels and in cupboards, for any drips.
- Reopen the stopcock a little at a time and recheck for leaks before turning it fully on.
Where Edinburgh pipes freeze
Pipes in unheated common stairs, top-floor flats with cold roof spaces, bay windows, and outside taps on main-door flats are the usual culprits. Lagging them is cheap and quick.
Going away over winter
Leave the heating on low, and if you are away for a long time, consider turning off the stopcock and draining the system. Tell the factor or a neighbour how to reach you.
When to get help
If a pipe has burst, or you cannot reach the frozen section, request quotes. Say if water is reaching another flat.
General guidance only. If anyone is in danger, or you smell gas, call the emergency services first.