Trouble from burst pipes can linger well beyond a freeze

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Even after a big freeze, the effects of broken pipes can linger.

After a deep freeze, one plumbing company prioritizes clients that are without running water. As many have learned, damage from burst pipes extends beyond plumbing.

We tagged along with a repair company still working on homes impacted by a deep freeze.

“Hot water heater pipe froze, causing the water to leak out, destroying the sheetrock on the ceiling,” said Douglas Jackson, ACC Restoration owner.

Nothing new about Jackson responding to water damage.

“All of these walls had to come out because of the moisture level that was here,” he said.

What’s unusual is the number of calls. Shalonda Morris is the Universal Plumbing business manager.

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She said, “On Monday, as the weather warmed up, we got close to 700 calls.”

Something restoration service companies and plumbers continue to answer.

“It created an emergency situation for people. Even up until today, we have people who are coming home from vacation, who are finding that they had a break in their lines,” she said.

How do you prevent this?

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“If you’re going to be out of town, turn your water off, and then you can bleed all the water out of the home. And then there’s no water in your pipes. It won’t burst while you’re away because it won’t freeze and expand,” said Morris.

We don’t see extreme freezing that often, so what’s the likelihood we experience something like this again?

First Alert Chief Meteorologist Riley Hale said: “That streak that we saw for Christmas weekend; that will go down in the history books for us, for that time of year. I don’t see us seeing those types of temperatures again this season, but I don’t want to say a zero percent chance.”

Jackson added, “Keep the constant flow in the pipes so that they don’t freeze up. That will help, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it will stop.”

If the wood in your house absorbs too much moisture, that’s going to mold and cause you to have to pay a hefty price tag. If you did come home to any water damage, you want to be sure and call for help.

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