Hiller Project Manager Thomas Nally says he knows the calls are coming. Homeowners will say they don't have any water. He says, first off, you have a frozen line. So, you'll need to go to your water meter, turn the water off, and then verify that it is off.
"From there, go to your hose bib or any open faucet," said Nally. "Even a tub inside works. Just open it up and get all the water drained out of the system. That's going to stop any future damages from happening."
Nally says what he sees most is an entire section of pipes freezing, with multiple breaks, and then you have to replace it all. That can be very costly.
"Worst case scenario I've seen is we ended up doing a whole home re-pipe," said Nally. "And normally, it's due to an old age pipe as well. And this was just kind of the final straw that broke the camel's back. I've seen those range from $5,000 to $8,000."
Nally says there isn't an average repair. If the issue's minor, like replacing a vacuum breaker, it could be $60-80. Thinking about doing it yourself? Workers at Ace Hardware say they saw plenty of people coming in last month, buying items like plumber's putty and crack foam to fix leaks. But Nally says you need to be careful.
"If it were my home, I'd want a professional out, maybe not even to fix it, but at least give you an idea of what you're looking at and to make some recommendations for you," said Nally.
