NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Below-freezing temperatures have kept plumbers busier than usual around Middle Tennessee.
One regional plumbing company, Roscoe Brown, said during cold snaps they usually receive between 200-300 calls.
“Call volume does increase as people struggle with split pipes and external water heaters and that sort of thing,” Roscoe Brown plumber, Nathan Ferreira, said.
Ferreira added the most common plumbing emergency in frigid weather is frozen pipes, but there are a number of things you can do to prevent it from happening to you.
“Leaving a tap on and opening cupboard doors to make sure that water is running so it doesn’t freeze or have time to set up,” Ferreira said. “And making sure there’s no hoses still on the hose bibs from summer and if you do have a non-frost free hose bib that those are covered as well.”
According to Metro Water Services (MWS), keeping garage doors and crawl spaces closed and keeping your thermostat above 55 degrees Fahrenheit can also prevent pipes from freezing.
“If it gets cold enough, sometimes there can be some gas issues that can happen,”Ferreira said.”…One thing that we get quite a lot is from external tankless units that heat water, making sure that the condensation lines are clear.”
If you think you have frozen pipes, it’s best to shut off your water and contact a local plumber, according to MWS.
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