The winter chill can put a strain on your home, whether it's the risk of a burst pipe, a broken boiler or blocked drains.

With these handy hints and tips to help you take care of your home over the winter months, you'll be ready for anything...

1. Put some kitchen foil behind your radiators to reflect heat back into your rooms.
2. Keep blinds and curtains closed to make sure you don't lose warmth through the windows.
3. Be prepared for a power cut - with candles, matches and torches to hand. Don't forget to check the batteries!
4. Ordinary household salt and warm water will unblock a frozen drain - fast.
5. Keeping the hatch to your attic ajar will stop overhead pipes and tanks freezing.
6. Protect your indoor pipes when you're out - keep the central heating on low, and leave internal doors open.
7. Going away? Shut off the outside taps and drain any standing water to avoid outside pipes bursting.
8. Trapped air can cause noisy gurgles in the central heating system. You can solve this by bleeding the radiators.
9. No hot water? There are a few simple checks you can carry out:
   • 
     Check the boiler to see if the pilot light is lit. To re-light it, follow the instructions in the manual or on the side of the boiler.
   • Make sure there's power going to the boiler by checking all switches are on.
   • Try a new fuse in the plug. Also, check the hot water thermostat is on, and set high enough.
   • If you're still faced with cold water, it's time to call in a professional.
10. Ahead of the freeze, put a tennis ball in a fish pond - then remove it to let oxygen into the water.
11. Cat litter makes a great alternative to salt for clearing ice off your paths - and unlike salt, it won't kill your plants.

If you are ever in doubt, particularly with your heating, call a specialist to help you.