One of our past clients dropped us a note on FaceBook this morning. She was looking for a referral for a plumber. We asked her to describe the problem. Apparently several of the cold water faucets and one of the toilets are not working.
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She’s likely going to need a plumber in a few days. The temperatures have been at record lows. We’ve had lows in the teens and highs in the 20’s for the past two days. What she is experiencing is most likely frozen water supply pipes in the exterior walls of the house. The cold water has frozen and the pipe is plugged.
Sadly the worse is yet to come in many cases. Copper is soft and as the water in the pipes freezes, it expands. This expansion will often cause the pipe to rupture. The extent of the damage will not be known until Saturday when temperatures climb above freezing for the first time in about four days.
Given the number of calls plumbers will be taking starting Saturday, we suggested that she locate the master water shut-off valve for the house. That way she can shut off the water supply and prevent extensive water damage to the house.
If you’re concerned about this happening to your home, you can leave the cabinet doors open so warm air from the house circulates under the sinks and you can crack the water faucets allowing a small trickle of water to flow. Moving water is far less likely to freeze.
As it begins to warm up, be sure to check around your home for water leaks and be prepared to take action.
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