Area plumbers overwhelmed with frozen, burst pipe calls

CONCORD, N.C. — The latest cold snap that has hit the Charlotte area has left many homes with frozen and burst pipes, and it's keeping plumbers busy all across the region.

Irina Shiskina had to call a plumber to her Concord home.

"My husband was first to be up this morning and he came back upstairs and said, "We have no water," she said.

The culprit was frozen pipes. It is a problem lots of families woke up to, as the freezing temperatures continue to linger.

"When we saw the temperature drop, we did cringe," said Jim Dickerson. He has run his plumbing and electrical business in Charlotte for 40 years. "Charlotte just doesn't see this type of weather often, so it ranks right up there with the worst I've seen."

When the first big freeze hit the area earlier this month, Dickerson's office was flooded with calls as pipes froze and burst.

"We averaged 1,400 calls the first day," he said.

"We have lived here since 2000, 2001 and never in 14 years have I seen my pipes here freeze," said Shiskina.

After a check of her water heater and the pipes under her home, the plumber didn't find any problems. Shishkina's family simply had to wait for their pipes to unthaw.

Dickerson said there are some things you can do to keep your pipes from freezing. He recommends disconnecting any outside hoses, close the vents under your home, let your faucets drip and open your cabinets so the warm air can reach your pipes.

WSOC