What to Do About Frozen and Burst Pipes in Houston

Posted on: February 18, 2021
By: Alan O'Neill
Posted in: Helpful Tips, Houston Tx, Local News, Tx

What to Do About Frozen and Burst Pipes in Houston

Have your water pipes frozen and burst?

Abacus Plumbing Featured On KPRC NEWS 2 Of Houston

You’re not alone. Thousands of homeowners in the Houston area are dealing with frozen, burst pipes during these days of highly unusual freezing weather. At Abacus Plumbing Houston, our phones are ringing off the hook with calls from worried homeowners, business owners, and property managers. Usually, we receive 700-900 calls on any given day; this past Wednesday, almost 14,000 people called for help.

Abacus workers live in the Houston area. We are part of this community, and our hearts go out to everyone suffering from the effects of the freezing weather, power failures, and frozen and burst pipes. We are in this with you.

Please follow our suggestions below for immediate actions to take to avoid or minimize damage to your home from burst pipes. Know that Abacus plumbers are working around the clock to help as many people as we can as soon as possible.

Turn off the water at the main

Turn off the water into your home. Our own licensed plumber Chris Castro recommends turning off water at the main, letting the pipes thaw out, and then turning the water back on slowly.

Watch your plumbing system carefully when you turn the water back on. Look for leaks, and if you see any, turn the water back off until the burst pipe can get repaired. Remember, many pipes are inside walls, cabinets, and crawlspaces where you can’t see them. Look for new and spreading water stains in ceilings and drywall, drips inside cabinets, and pools of water collecting under the house.

Open a bathtub faucet

If you slightly open a bathtub faucet, when frozen pipes start to thaw, the water will have a place to go. If all faucets are off, the water inside the pipes will seek to exit through cracks. This may happen anyway, but an open faucet can reduce the number and ease severity of leaks.

Conserve water

Water pressure in Houston is already low. If you see drips, do your best to stop them. Wrap pipes with tightly tied rags or towels at cracked places and drip points.

Fill a bathtub first

If possible, fill a bathtub before turning off water into the house. This provides water for things like conservative toilet flushing and hand washing.

Call Abacus Plumbing

Yes, we’re getting many calls, but don’t let that deter you from reaching out to us for help. We’re working around the clock to answer the phone. We’ve got all hands on deck to answer service requests.

Call Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning, and Electrical at 713-766-3605.