Plumbers have a busy week due to the deep-freeze thaw, which causes burst pipes.
Dec. 27—The holiday season is busy enough during a normal year. But for plumbers, home heating contractors and emergency responders, the deep freeze over the past few days — and the warmer weather that is on the way — has made things even busier.
Vince Marino (owner of Vince Marino Plumbing) said, “I’ve probably received 40 or 50 calls from Friday night.” He works primarily in Pittsburgh’s Oakland, Shadyside, and Greenfield areas. Marino only had a few minutes to discuss the past few days between service calls Monday.
He said that people’s pipes had been frozen since Friday and are now starting to thaw. “This can cause a lot damage, and it has been busy.”
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures dropped from 40 to minus 5 Friday morning to minus 5. It was in single digits most of Saturday and Sunday with wind chills nearing 30 below zero.
Ben Vokes, Lower Burrell, who is the owner of Ben’s Plumbing, Heating and Remodeling, said that “we probably tripled our usual amount of calls.” “We get 15-18 calls per day on average.”
Vokes stated that it was the most severe cold-related damage he could recall.
He stated, “We haven’t witnessed this in twenty-years.”
Water expands as it freezes — it’s the only known nonmetallic substance to do so — and, as a result, can put pressure on the pipes that contain it. Many of these pipes are made from metal and are therefore subject to expansion and contraction. The ice can melt when temperatures warm up and pipes can be damaged or bursting.
It occurred Christmas Eve at Shaler High School. Bauerstown Volunteer Fire Department personnel responded to a sprinkler system that burst just before dinner. A pipe burst at Macy’s Westmoreland Mall, Hempfield on Christmas Day due to weather damage. This caused the store to close several doors and Kennywood officials said that frozen pipes forced it to close on Monday.
Susan Bayne, Murrysville, stated that she intended to leave the faucets running slowly on Friday. But it was too late for her and her family, who woke up to frozen pipes Christmas Eve.
Bayne explained that the heat had to be turned up to 80 degrees and space heaters used to warm it. “We came back late Christmas Eve — we called it our ‘Christmas miracle.’ “
Gary Adams, Bortz Hardware’s owner in Greensburg said Monday that he had seen steady business.
Adams stated that they are now selling heat tape and ice-melt products.
Dylan Grindle was the manager at Hepler’s Hardware in New Stanton.
He said that people were buying propane and kerosene heaters as well as insulation and heat tape.
Ace Hardware, Lower Burrell cashier said that the store has had a steady flow of professionals and homeowners buying supplies.
Pheasant Drive in Penn Hills was covered with ice when crews from Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority worked to fix a water main break within the Churchill Valley neighborhood.
Matt Junker, spokesperson for Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County said that the agency suffered two small leaks at McKeesport, as well as one each at Jeannette, Greensburg, and Jeannette during the cold snap.
The National Weather Service predicts that the weather will turn soon and temperatures will rise, reaching the low 50s later in the week.
Shannon Hefferan, meteorologist said that we are not going to see a ‘flash heating’ like the flash freeze. “Monday, we’re only going up to 20 degrees. We’ll reach the 40s by Wednesday. This is when you can see some expansion and contraction. We do have some rain chances on Friday, but not much.
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff journalist. Patrick Varine can be reached via email at [email protected] Twitter or