The National Weather Service is forecasting an overnight low of two degrees Wednesday night, well below the average temperature for this time of year. The all-time record low for January 6th is one degree, and for January 7th is two. This current icy weather might be problematic for Pittsburgh’s home owners and pets.
John L. Sullivan, owner of Sullivan Super Service, says his company can handle approximately 20 service calls a day. When temperatures fall below 10 degrees, the company can receive as many as 300 calls in just a few hours. The culprit? Frozen pipes.
In icy temperatures, water in pipes can freeze. When it freezes, it expands, causing cracks in the plumbing.
“You won’t even know it when it’s frozen, but as soon as it thaws then it will start leaking all over the place and can cause tremendous damage,” Sullivan said.
According to Sullivan, outside hose faucets are especially at-risk of freezing. Homeowners often forget to turn off the water to these pipes or fail to drain them entirely before winter sets in.
“They have to find some way to not only turn them off but to drain the water out of that pipe so that it can’t freeze and burst in the winter,” Sullivan explained.
Other vulnerable plumbing locations include pipes along the inside of outer walls, where walls meet the roof, or where the basement meets the floor. Bathroom vanity sinks and kitchen sinks sitting on outer walls are also susceptible, “and one strategy, if you believe those sinks are susceptible to freezing, is to open the doors of the cabinet, allowing the heat of the home to get back into that cabinet and keep the pipes warm,” Sullivan advised. Another temporary fix, Sullivan added, is to drip water through the pipe continuously until better insulation can be installed, since running water is less likely to freeze.
Pipes are not the only victims of the cold. Kristen Lane, Director of Public Relations and Marketing at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, says her organization gets far too many calls about animals suffering outside in below-freezing temperatures. “It’s really, really important that if you spot an animal being kept outdoors in cruel conditions, that you do report that animal,” Lane said.
Even responsible pet owners can be unaware of winter hazards. For example, Lane said, many do not realize dogs’ feet can be irritated by the salt and other chemicals put down by salt trucks. Dogs also like to lick their paws, and the chemicals can aggravate their stomachs. After a walk, owners should wipe their dogs’ feet or give them dog booties to wear.
According to Lane, anyone who keeps a dog or cat outside needs to provide adequate shelter and change the pet’s water frequently so it does not freeze.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers several safety tips when it comes to keeping your home warm during a cold snap. Among them is clearing the area around space heaters, using only the prescribed fuels in non-electric space heaters, never burning charcoal indoors, never using your stove or oven to heat your home, and making sure your furnace’s flu is drawing well and any flammable material is well away from the flu.
It is also recommended that every level of your home be equipped with both a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.
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