Cold, ice and snow

Do you know where your stopcock is?

To prevent any pipe problems, keep your heating at a consistent temperature. This includes when you’re away from the property.

Knowing where your stopcock is will help you to turn the cold water off and limit damage in emergencies. The stopcock is usually under your kitchen sink and normally looks like a tap/lever.

It is also useful to know where your isolation valve is that leads to your taps/toilets. It's usually directly under your toilet or directly under your tap. In the event of a leak, you can cut the water off to the tap/toilet by using a flat headed screwdriver. Use it to do a quarter turn to the right. Contact us straight away via MyHastoe or call us.

You may wish to check your buildings and contents insurance policy. Check what cover it provides for water damage inside your home. 

Damp and mould can become a problem in winter. This is because people are less likely to open windows and turn on their heating to cut costs.

Read our damp & mould tips here.

If you notice any damp and mould in your house, contact us on MyHastoe or call us. It's important to deal with it before it gets worse. In this case, please check that there aren’t any pipe leaks that might have caused it. If you see a tidemark, let us know in your call. 

Have you checked your boiler?

Use your heating before you need it to make sure it works. If you can check your boiler on a regular basis, you'll stop any minor problems becoming serious in the cold. You can take a look at our heating guide to help you. If you notice any problems now, tell us via MyHastoe.

Help your boiler work properly by dusting off any vents and don’t cover them up. Check that any external vents are free of debris.

If your heating isn’t coming on at first, check that the radiator valves are turned on. Also check that your thermostat is set above room temperature. You may need to replace your thermostat batteries. Before calling us, check the display on the boiler for any fault codes. This is useful information for the contractor.

Report loss of heating via MyHastoe or call us and it will be dealt with urgently. You must be in the property for the next 24hrs if a contractor is called out as an emergency.

To stay safe, check your CO alarm and Carbon Monoxide alarm. If you have replaced the batteries and your alarm is still not responding to the ‘test’ button, please call us. This will be dealt with as an urgent repair.

Always be careful on icy paths and in icy carparks.

Avoid darkened or shiny patches as these are ice patches and the most likely spot for you to slip. 

No matter how careful you are, there’s always a risk that your belongings could be broken or damaged. Home contents insurance can help give peace of mind. 

Find out how to get it.