Plumbing News You Can Use
December 2009: Plumbers Are in Demand
as Cold Weather Creeps in
Photo credit: Atlantech
Oregon residents are already having cold weather problems, and winter has just begun. As the cool winds begin to grow colder, various Oregon newspapers are reporting that residential and commercial pipes across the state are beginning to freeze in record numbers. This is causing chaos within the state of Oregon, since plumbers there can hardly keep up with the constant frantic phone calls.
A recent report in the Mail Tribune outlines the problems that Oregon residents are having. The issue isn’t that mild winter days can lead to burst pipes, it’s that "after it drops below 22 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ve to wrap the pipes with insulation to keep them from freezing," as Richard Ferguson of Richard’s Plumbing in Medford told the Mail Tribune.
More than 40 calls per day (according to Statesman Journal) are flooding into Oregon plumbing outfits. Plumbers with cell phones are being called around the clock as residents anxiously attempt to keep pipes from freezing and garages from flooding.
If you happen to live in a colder climate, there are a couple of things that you can do to avoiding having your plumber on speed dial. But first, in order to prevent your pipes from freezing, it’s important to understand why pipes freeze in the first place. During the cold winter months, pipes tend to freeze due to a lack of warm air (makes sense, right?). So, the best thing to do is to try and surround your pipes with warm air.
This task can be accomplished in a number of ways, beginning with the warm air inside of your home.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warm air from inside your home to surround pipes.
- Allow cold water to slowly drip from faucets in order to create pipe circulation.
- Make sure that interior walls are well insulated.
When dealing with basement pipes, the same basic ideas apply. Only, you’ll have to purchase some space heaters in order to keep your basement pipes warm. Place the space heaters inside your garage on particularly cold days (be sure to monitor them frequently), and always keep your garage door closed during the winter months; garage doors that are left open even for a moment can allow pipes to freeze.
If you’ve done everything that you could to prevent your pipes from freezing to no avail, then make sure to call a professional plumber. Attempting to warm pipes with a hairdryer, fire or any other item is dangerous. Instead, allow a professional plumber to handle your frozen pipes for you-the cost will be worth it in the long run!
Author Harriette Halepis is a writer based in Montreal. She specializes in DIY and modern interior design. Ask Harriette for advice on anything from vegetarian Canadian bacon to adding mod accents to your home décor.
