How to protect water pipes from frost and avoid burst pipes

Boligfritid.dk is a Danish magazine for homeowners. This English version is written for international residents in Denmark. Read the original in Danish.

Updated 23 October 2026. When water freezes, it expands, and that can burst pipes, taps and water meters. The damage is often only discovered when things thaw and the water starts running. Here is how to prevent it.

At home

• Outdoor taps: close the indoor stopcock that supplies the outdoor tap, open the tap outside so it drains, and leave it open. Disconnect and empty the garden hose.
• Pipes in cold rooms: insulate pipes in the crawl space, garage, shed and loft with pipe lagging. Keep these rooms frost-free.
• Water meter and meter pit: make sure the lid fits tightly, and insulate the pit if needed.
• Know where your stopcock is: find it now and check that it closes. Then you can shut off the water quickly if something bursts.

At the summer house

• Turn off the main tap and drain the pipes by opening all the taps.
• Empty the toilet cistern and the water heater, and pour antifreeze into the toilet, floor drains and traps.
• Consider keeping the house frost-free, and check what your insurance requires.

See the full checklist: Close your summer house for the winter.

If a pipe has frozen

1. Turn off the water at the stopcock so no water escapes when the pipe thaws.
2. Open the tap so the water can run out when the ice melts.
3. Thaw the pipe gently with a hairdryer or warm cloths. Never use an open flame.
4. Check the pipe for cracks before you turn the water back on.

To see which plumbing jobs you are allowed to do yourself, read the guide What electrical and plumbing work can you do yourself? You will find more autumn jobs in the garden calendar (in Danish) and in the checklist for winter-proofing your home.

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