Tis the season to be freezing, meaning you may want to protect your water pipes before anything disastrous happens.

No, we’re not talking about protecting your vocal chords in readiness for some Christmas carolling – these colder climes mean your water pipes are at risk of freezing and (please, no!) bursting.

Homes left empty for more than a few days are especially at risk, according to Affinity Water.

A spokesperson said: “Any sudden drop in temperature could cause damage to pipes and property if people aren’t prepared.

“If pipes freeze during the night, the first you may be aware of a problem is when they thaw, causing water to stream from burst pipes in the loft, flooding rooms below.

“The consequences can be very damaging and upsetting, but this can be easily avoided by insulating exposed pipe work.”

Affinity advise you deck the exposed pipes with insulating material such as pipe wrap, insulate your cold water tank and outside tap and leave central heating on a frost prevention setting overnight.

If you’re heading away for a longer spell, it would be wise to turn the water supply off altogether.

For further useful info on lagging pipes, dealing with frozen pipes and generally enhancing your pipe know-how, visit: www.affinitywater.co.uk/coldweather.