AUSTIN, Texas — Since Saturday, Stan’s Heating, Air and Plumbing received at least 270 calls for frozen pipes in the Austin area.
“Yesterday, I had running water,” said Ross Smolen. “Today, I did not.”
Smolen, in South Austin, was one of those calls. He said he woke up with frozen pipes and no running water after hours of below-freezing temperatures.
“In hindsight, should have dripped my pipes,” said Smolen.
Not only did he not drip his faucets, but when he went to turn the water off using the homeowner shut-off valve, it broke.
“This is the shut-off valve that I ripped off,” said Smolen, holding it. “I’m very strong.”
He decided it was time to call the professionals.
“We’re crazy busy with all these calls,” said plumber Andreas Flores. “You know, a lot of frozen lines.”
The broken pipe from his jaw-dropping image in Steiner Ranch was just one of hundreds of calls.
“Unfortunately, this gentleman here, he did have lines that were not insulated,” said Flores. “So those are the lines that froze.”
Flores said Smolen covered his outside spigots like he was supposed to but missed the uninsulated lines in the attic. Flores said wrapping them with foam insulation or pool noodles would have helped, as well as opening cabinets while having the heater on. He also said dripping indoor faucets, especially along the outside walls, is essential, something he said many people do wrong.
“The way I can say it is the thinnest stream that you can get because just a drip is not going to do anything,” said Flores. “You got to get that water moving.”
He said if your pipes are already frozen from these sub-freezing temperatures, there isn’t much you can do besides opening the cabinets to let in heat.
“Unfortunately, you just have to turn the water off and just wait for them to thaw out,” said Flores. “Then, once they thaw out, go ahead and give us a call.”
He said to turn off the homeowner valve, city valve and your water heater, so when it does thaw, it doesn’t flood your home. Of course, if you don’t know how, find someone who does.
“Talk to your plumbers,” said Smolen.
That way, you don’t end up having to make even more repairs.
Daranesha Herron on social media: Facebook | X| Instagram
KVUE on social media: Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube
www.kvue.com
https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-frozen-pipes/269-eb8aee92-884a-414f-8f0d-c9897e377fb7
