Winter Weather Freezing Home and Office Pipes
Tips to Prevent, Handle and Hire
Help with Frozen Plumbing
The winter weather
across West Texas this week continues to freeze plumbing
lines in commercial and residential buildings as temperatures remain surprisingly
low. To prevent pipes from freezing, bursting and causing water damage, BBB urges all home and
business owners to take extra precautions by following the tips below provided
by industry experts:
To prevent your
pipes from freezing:
-Wrap all exposed pipes located outside or
in unheated areas of the home.
-Remove garden hoses from outside faucets.
-Cover vents around the foundation of your
home.
-Drip outside faucets 24 hours a day (5
drops per minute).
-Open cabinet doors
under sinks adjacent to outside walls to allow heat in from inside the home.
-Shut off the water to washing machines in
unheated garages.
If your pipes freeze
and burst:
-Cut-off
the water valve. If you are unable to locate or operate your cut-off valve,
call your water provider immediately for help.
-Call
your insurance agent to file a claim. Be sure to ask for specific procedures or
paperwork needed to move forward with repairs.
-If
possible, take photos of any water saturation. An insurance adjuster may need
to see what's been damaged in order to process your claim.
-As
soon as the majority of water is drained away, all wet items should be
discarded or cleaned and thoroughly dried within 48 hours of flooding to
prevent the growth of mold, according to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA).
If
hiring a plumber to help with repairs:
-Be wary of plumbers who show up unsolicited at your
door offering to make repairs. Most reputable companies are too busy right now
to solicit work in this manner.
-Beware
of price gouging. Some businesses may be marking up their products or services
by as much as 500 percent due to the high demand of plumbing services in the
cold weather.
-Take
time to shop around for plumbers get competitive bids, and check references and
licensing requirements. Check a company’s rating with BBB to determine
your level of trust.
-Request
a written contract, detailing all services, materials and labor. Be sure the
plumber signs your copy before you make any payments.
-Never
pay for all repairs in advance and do not pay with cash.
To check the
reliability of the company and find trustworthy
businesses,
visit bbb.org
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We serve the following Texas Mid-West Counties: Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Eastland, Fisher, Jones, Mitchell, Nolan, Scurry, Runnels, Shackelfore, Stephens, and Taylor.