After a week of freezing temperatures in Columbus, plumbing problems may continue even as the ice thaws.
Justin Klutts, owner of Klutts Plumbing in Columbus, posted on Facebook Jan. 14 ahead of the winter weather to let community members know the company would be available to help solve issues with water pipes. He said he’s received a lot of calls since then.
Justin Klutts
“We’re still working on getting people’s water restored now,” Klutts told The Dispatch Friday.
He said items like exposed water lines feeding yard spigots are at risk of breaking during freezing weather.
When water freezes inside a pipe, it swells and causes the pipe to burst because there is no give in the material. Homeowners may not be aware a pipe has burst until it begins to thaw and the pressure is released from the broken pipe, Klutts said.
As temperatures get warmer after the weekend, he anticipates more calls, both for busted pipes and clogged fixtures.
“People don’t realize it, but when that water freezes in their lines and then goes to thawing out … it’s like a big, frozen missile inside that pipe,” he said. “What it does is it moves inside the lines. It breaks the scale that’s built up inside the pipe walls in there. It breaks it all loose and will stop up all your fixtures.”
Klutts and his company then have to clean the water lines out to assure everything works properly.
Columbus Light and Water (CLW) General Manager Angela Verdell said there have been minimal problems during the freeze, including a few calls from customers that need their water to be cut off due to issues with pipes. Once a call is made about busted pipes, a crew is dispatched to the location and water is shut off so that repairs can be made.
CLW also responded to assist with the repair of a main water line in the Miley Loop area. Verdell said all repairs have been completed.
“As a precaution, we flushed fire hydrants across the city to help keep iron levels down and to prevent stagnation in the lines which otherwise could result in lines freezing,” she said. “We are very grateful and blessed that there were minimal issues during the freeze. Our team has done an outstanding job in updating and maintaining all systems to be able to respond to these conditions when they occur.”
Angela Verdell
John Scott
Starkville Utilities Assistant General Manager John Scott said the department received a total of 56 calls from customers between Jan. 12 and 18 regarding leaking lines or broken pipes.
“Of those 56, only six of those were actually Starkville Utilities’ water lines,” Scott said. “Fifty of them were customer problems, but we responded and cut off their water for them, so they could make repairs.”
The cost to repair broken pipes can fall anywhere between $150 to $300, but if repairs include removing walls to reach the water line, there is potential for a significant cost increase.
Klutts said that since the area is not prone to excessively cold temperatures, except usually once a year, it is hard to see the signs of frozen or burst pipes. But there are precautions homeowners can take.
“If you have outdoor plumbing, protect it,” he said. “If it’s not necessary for it to be exposed, get it under the ground. … There are also special fixtures you can buy like yard hydrants.”
Faucets should be set to drip during below-freezing temperatures to ensure a steady flow of water and prevent freezing. Cabinet doors should be opened under kitchen sinks and bathrooms to allow heat inside the house to reach the pipes. He also suggests paying close attention to fixtures inside the home that are located on an exterior wall.
“Those are more prone to freeze quicker because they’re on that exterior wall,” he said. “So if you pay attention to any of them that you want to keep running, I would suggest concentrating on the ones that are on the exterior walls.”
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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