MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The end of our extremely cold weather is coming soon. But the warm up we’ve been waiting for is going to be a big problem for some homeowners.
Pipes frozen and cracked while freezing could soon be carrying hundreds of gallons of water into basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.
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Plumbing companies say it’s been a couple of decades since they saw so many problems.
And they say homeowners should get them fixed ASAP.
It took 59 years and historically low temperatures to blow a pipe in Larry Smith’s basement.
“The only thing colder than me last night was my 59-year-old plumber,” said Smith. “I dumped 200 gallons in the basement before I got up this morning and we took it from there. Not very good, but we did it. “
The damage costs Smith thousands of dollars and a huge mess to clean it up. Despite everything, he has retained his sense of humor.
“The ceiling was down and I mean there was an inch of water over everything,” he said. “I finally have a swimming pool down [in] the cellar!”
Plumbing and restoration teams have worked around the clock to keep up with similar home visits.
Andy Ryan with Minneapolis-St. Paul Plumbing, Heating and Air, says business has been more than brisk.
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“We get 75 to 100 calls a day for the past 72 hours,” said Ryan.
Why so many pipe problems? The subzero temperatures cause water to freeze. When it freezes, it expands and the pipes burst.
Ryan says there is a simple test to see if your pipes are actually frozen.
“If you go to your regular kitchen faucet, your bathroom faucet, and turn the faucet on and it doesn’t work the way it should, by all means see a plumber to find out what’s going on,” he said.
It’s a lesson Smith says he learned the hard way.
“Don’t wait 59 years,” said Smith. “Update your plumbing.”
If you suspect you have frozen pipes, the first thing you need to do is find the main valve for your water supply. Turn it off to avoid a leak.
Then it’s time to call the plumbers. You have devices that can tell exactly where the crack is in your pipes.
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Once they repair the crack, slowly heat your pipes until they thaw.
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