Feb 14, 2008 6:57 pm US/Central
Frozen Pipes: Avoiding The Watery Mess
(WCCO)
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The severe cold can put a big strain on pipes, and it only takes a hole as small as a penny to cause big problems.
CBS
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Experts say the cycle of weather Minnesota has been experiencing, with warmer temperatures followed by extreme cold, increases the danger of pipes freezing.
CBS
The thermometer is dropping once again, putting some homes and businesses at risk of frozen pipes.
The severe cold can put a big strain on pipes, and it only takes a hole as small as a penny to cause big problems.
Experts say the cycle of weather Minnesota has been experiencing, with warmer temperatures followed by extreme cold, increases the danger of pipes freezing.
"There was at least a foot in the basement, and when I came up on Monday morning it was just streaming out like a fire hydrant," said Mary Clemens.
Clemens showed off photo after photo where entire sections of ceilings were soaked and caving in. Just one small, frozen pipe that burst spewed enough water to flood the business where Clemens works. Then the water poured down to another business below it.
The ultimate irony is where the damage happened was at a Minneapolis plumbing company.
"Oh just terrible. It's just amazing, how ironic that it happened at a plumbing company," said Clemens.
The frozen pipe mess took place over the weekend when workers weren't around.
At a home in North Minneapolis, plumbers have been there for three days making repairs. The sequence of events is typical of what many plumbers have been seeing.
The homeowner went on vacation in Mexico to escape the winter. Upon her return, Millicent Flowers found her furnace failed then nearly two dozen pipes froze and burst.
"The water was coming down this wall and it was raining out of the heat registers and the ceiling were buckled and falling in," said Flowers.
Her finished basement was so water-logged that all the drywall, insulation and floors were removed. Walls throughout the home were cut open to find the damaged pipes.
"We went and had a good time, and I came back and it was raining in my basement. So I had to deal with that after the nice vacation," said Flowers.
Ben Franklin Plumbing recommends that you turn off your water if you're going out-of-town. Having a neighbor check on your house is also good advice. Don't allow your house to drop below 55 degrees.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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