Frigid temperatures in northern San Luis Obispo County have led to hard freeze warnings for part of the week. The next time temperatures see a drop below 30 degrees, the National Weather Service says your outdoor water pipes are at risk.
The warning urges residents to protect their water pipes by wrapping, draining, or allowing a slow drip. It's also important to keep the home as warm as possible including your roofspace, as warm air flow reduces the chance of pipes freezing and halting your water supply momentarily.
In addition to checking your water pipes, the freeze warning also prompted an emphasis in taking care of your crops and outdoor animals.
Should you not take precautions, it could cost your or the homeowner a big sum of money, which was the case at an apartment complex in Atascadero Monday night.
“This one we just worked on it at this house broke at a fitting in the ground," Tyler Enriquez, owner of T&R Plumbing said. "We ended up digging it up, cutting back a couple of feet and rebuilding the whole water entry with a new pressure regulator and installed a valve and hose bib. That ended up being around $1,200 dollars.”
While newer complexes and homes have pipes that are designed to expand and contract during extreme temperatures, pipes in older homes are not.
“Some old houses have the thin-walled copper and those, if they freeze up, they expand and crack, especially at the fittings of the pipes," Tyler explained.
Meanwhile right next door, homeowner Carol De Lisle is used to taking care of her property and says she hasn't had a pipe burst in the 25 years she's owned the property. And she's been at work ever since the freeze warning.
“I first made sure that my water main access shutoff valve was completely cleared, so I could shut it off quickly," De Lisle said. "I made sure the insulation I put last year on my pipes, I put new insulation last year on my outdoor pipes that there was no gaps and that nothing was broken off. I made sure my drip system was off and drained and I wrapped blankets on my hose bibs.”
Property manager George Enriquez says the usual first sign a water pipe has burst is if it's seen coming out of light fixtures in the home. If that happens, Enriquez says you should immediately shut off the main water supply. If pipes burst when no one is home, it can lead to expensive and extensive damage."
“We've came out to houses that have had the water coming out of the doors that you know that the people went to the grocery store, or they work late," Enriquez said. "And you know when it's freezing or they went out of town for the weekend and they didn't shut off their main valve and next thing you know, the neighbor shutting off their water for them."
