What to do if your pipes are frozen due to weekend winter storm
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - While many take the day after Christmas to rest, others are back to work and extremely busy, like David Wahl.
He owns Wahl Family Heating, Cooling and Plumbing in Carnegie.
"With these extreme temperatures, we've been fielding service calls for not only no heat, but frozen pipes as well," said Wahl.
Wahl said they're receiving more calls for help this year, compared to this time last year.
"The longer you stand outside, the colder you get," said Wahl.
"Well, the longer it's less than 20 degrees outside, the colder your house gets, and that cold seeps into the water lines whenever it's cold that long and that's when we see pipes start to freeze."
Wahl encourages homeowners to be proactive to avoid a potential mess.
"The best thing is to try to keep the house warm," said Wahl. "So, if it's getting this cold out, try turning the temperature a little bit, so the house can maintain temperature. Open the cabinets -- your kitchen cabinets where your sink is, your vanity cabinets in the bathroom."
"Let warm air get to those pipes that could potentially freeze, and then also what we recommend is letting your faucets drip a bit. It doesn't have to be a crazy long stream."
But for some people, it's too late. Wahl said it's important to follow these steps to thaw:
"It's not that the damage is done at that point, more damage can continue to happen. You want to open up all the taps and give that freezing water somewhere to expand. Shut the water off coming into the house and then try and get things as warm as possible, so you prevent the rest of the pipes from freezing."
Wahl warns to avoid using open flames like a blow torch. Instead, use a blow-dryer, or space heater and monitor it. Then, call a heating or plumbing company if you need some assistance. Wahl also mentioned he's receiving calls about the lack of heat in homes.
He said people set their thermostat to a certain degree, but it doesn't reach the desired warmth. That's because there is just not enough natural gas to meet the current demand. He said the best you can do is sit tight and weather the storm.
