Chattanooga-area plumbers dealing with high demand for pipe repairs after arctic cold wave [Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tenn.]

Dec. 27—Kay Keefe said Tuesday the telephone has been "ringing off the hook," hearing from customers seeking help with burst and frozen water pipes sustained amid recent below-freezing temperatures in the area.

"We can only do so much," said the owner of Keefe Plumbing Co. in Chattanooga by phone, adding she expects the number of calls to grow — as dammed up pipes thaw due to warmer weather, water starts to run again, and people realize they've got a problem.

Plumbing companies across the region are grappling with the surge in calls from the effects of the arctic blast that sent thermometers plunging late last week through the long Christmas holiday period.

Leeann Wooten of Chattanooga Battlefield Plumbing said there have been more than 100 requests for a plumber mostly due to burst pipes.

"We're getting everyone taken care of as quickly as possible. We're working them in as quick as we can," she said in a telephone interview, adding that it may be a couple of days until everyone's problems are fixed.

Lindsey Dillon of Best Plumbing in Chattanooga said Tuesday morning the phone was "ringing nonstop since I got here."

"We've taken probably 20 to 25 calls already," she said by phone. "It was just so cold."

Keefe said her company hasn't tallied that number of calls since another severe freeze in 2013. It's shifting more routine plumbing calls such as leaky faucets to the end of the week in order to get to those who've had a broken water line, she said.

"We need to prioritize those people," Keefe said. "It's good for business, but I feel real bad for the people it happens to. It's an interesting way to end the year."

She said many people weren't prepared for the extreme low temperatures, although some may have done everything right and still had an issue.

Keefe said, for example, the high winds that accompanied the near-zero degree marks for several days as the cold front moved in could creep into homeowner's crawl spaces and cause pipes to freeze.

"Some insulation doesn't hold up," she added.

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Plumbers in Chattanooga area grapple with arctic cold wave

Wooten said most people take the right steps, such as letting water drip from faucets and opening cabinet doors around them. But, she said, when the thermometer drops into the single digits, "there's only so much you can do."

Dillon of Best Plumbing agreed, noting that burst or frozen pipes could still happen with the severe cold temperatures.

Homeowners insurance typically will cover the damage and cost associated with such failures in the pipes inside houses, though not necessarily the flooding, said Sarah Strickland of Lawhorn and Associates.

Water companies sometimes offer coverage for pipes outside the house, she said.

"They have a plan," Strickland said.

Insurers also may offer extra coverage such as a water damage endorsement to policyholders.

Companies such as HomeServe, which has a major presence with a Chattanooga call center, offer home coverage plans that provide assistance with plumbing, pipe and other issues.

According to the company, if a customer experiences a burst pipe, it will send a plumber if the problem is covered by their plumbing plan. Businesses such as HomeServe offer such plans with monthly fees.

The nonprofit Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety estimates property damage can cost thousands of dollars and easily reach $5,000.

While it recommends spending money to insulate pipes, it also encourages homeowners to install insulation in attics, basements and crawl spaces to help maintain higher temperatures in those areas.

Additionally, the institute recommends keeping a thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Freezing temperatures aren't the right time to set back the thermostat at night to save a few dollars off a heating bill, according to the institute.

AVOID A BURST PIPE

— Let cold water drip from faucets.

— Open kitchen cabinet doors.

— Keep thermostat at same temperature day and night.

— Keep garage door closed if near water supply lines.

— Add insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces.

Source: Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.

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