CHICAGO — Sub-zero temperatures and ice aren’t the only issues facing homeowners amid the latest round of winter weather.
As warmer temperatures begin to thaw things out across Chicagoland, it means long hours for plumbers and home repairmen.
“It’s been nonstop for the last six days. Emergency call after emergency call,” licensed plumber Chirs Ludwig said.
Ludwig was hard at work on Friday as the gradually warming temperatures led to a whole new handful of problems for homeowners.
“The cold wall had a burst pipe and then it thawed and water was sprayed everywhere,” Ludwig said.
According to Ludwig, that has been the case for many homeowners as temperatures begin to climb above freezing and the ice begins to thaw.
“Especially now after the thawing because you don’t know you have a break until the freeze kind of warms up a little bit that’s when the disaster happens and water is everywhere,” Ludwig said.
The homeowner who suffered the burst pipe decided to switch out the galvanized pipes for copper ones.
“They get weaker over the years and they close up,” Ludwig said. “So by the time we end up replacing the galvanized, you can’t even look through the pipe from one end to the other because there’s so much corrosion in the pipe.”
Another homeowner suffered a post-freeze emergency after a pipe burst in their attic, causing water damage all the way from the third floor of the home to the basement.
According to Ludwig, homeowners can avoid issues from winter weather by checking for drafts in a home and taking steps to ensure pipes along a cold wall are still serviceable.
“Check any water lines on a cold wall and make sure they are still serviceable,” Ludwig said. “If you know the area is cold, when it’s cold outside like it’s exceptionally cold, you could put heat tape. You could put valves and shut that area down if you don’t need it in the winter.”
Ludwig said homeowners who do suffer from frozen pipes should turn off the water to their home as quickly as possible, as a disaster scenario could soon follow.
“Turn off the water right away because it could be thawing while you’re inspecting it and you could be in a disaster looking at the pipe right there,” Ludwig said.
A frozen pipe could take about 30 minutes to thaw depending on how cold it is or how long the pipe has been frozen.
