Tips to stop water damage from frozen water pipes
If you discover you have frozen water pipes, follow the following steps to help prevent water damage to your property:

1. Turn off the water supply
Turn off the main stop tap. You should find this under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe enters your home
Turn off the stopcock in your cold water tank if you have one, it's usually found in the attic or loft

2. Beat water damage from the burst pipe
Protect everything around the frozen water pipe to avoid damage if it bursts.

3. Thawing out
Open the tap nearest to the part of the frozen water pipe so the water can flow through when it has melted
Thaw the ice in the frozen water pipe with a hot water bottle or hairdryer (taking care to keep it well away from any water), beginning from the tap end and working back toward the cold water tank. Never use a heat gun or blow torch

4. Report the incident
Contact your insurers or your Landlord or Letting Agent who will arrange for an inspection and any further repairs to deal with the emergency.

Preventing frozen water pipes bursting
If a frozen water pipe bursts and water comes gushing through the ceiling, it can wreak real damage on your home and its contents. Even worse, burst pipes and leaks can be complicated to fix, causing damage to timbers, floor boards and possibly leading to wet rot.

You can avoid this kind of damage by preventing burst pipes and leaks in the first place. As frozen water pipes often burst, winter care is crucial. Try the following care tips:

Insulate your loft and the sides of your water tanks
Insulate all your water pipes
Open the loft trap door on cold days to let heat in
If you're away for awhile, spending winter somewhere warmer perhaps, then ask a friend or relative to check on your home and make sure water pipes haven't burst or frozen
Re-washer dripping taps because if they freeze they'll block the pipe. This will also it will save up to a litre of water a day and your money if it's a hot tap
Make sure you know where your stop tap is and check regularly that you can turn it off easily in an emergency
In very cold weather the heating will need to be on low, or set to come on a couple of times a day, especially if you're going away. Most modern boilers have a frost protection thermostat, which turns on automatically if the temperature drops to a level that will cause your pipes to freeze.