Extreme Cold Brings Pipe Bursting Problems To Green Country

The record-breaking cold is also causing problems in homes across Green Country. For some, that means pipes are frozen, thawed, and cracking, which is causing big problems. 

Everyone wants to take steps to prevent plumbing problems, but for one Green Country woman, there wasn’t anything she could do.

When it’s below freezing outside, it’s likely cold air is making its way inside.

“Attic isn't well insulated. It isn't going to matter how well your heat is working inside your house. Pipes can still freeze. Best thing you can do is get heat to the area as quickly as possible and thaw those lines as soon as you know there's frozen lines,” Nicole Smith, an owner of 1800 Water Damage, said. 

She says one customer’s home will need thousands of dollars in repairs after the water heater’s pipe froze in the attic.

If a frozen pipe is found, Smith says there may still be time to prevent it from breaking.

“A lot of times, we tell people to use blow dryers because it's a little safer than just putting a space heater on it. As long as it's in a safe distance, space heater is going to be the best option,” Smith said. 

But if there is a leak, even a small one, she recommends getting a professional to help.

“Getting it dried is the biggest thing to prevent any damage from continuing with mold growth or anything like that,” Smith said. 

With the warning signs of winter weather combined with his prior years of experience, Andy Whitley says he wasn’t worried about weatherizing his home. 

That was until water began flooding upstairs.

“Water was gushing everywhere, and the floor was soaked,” Whitley said. 

And that led to more problems in other areas of the house.

“We eventually found out downstairs. Water was continuously dripping down into our laundry room. There were some stains on the ceiling,” Whitley said. “Hopefully, not a lot of damage, but it could have been a lot worse.”

Restoration companies say they are already getting a lot of calls, and they expect a lot more over the next 48 hours as temperatures begin to rise.