TYLER, Texas — The cooler weather has finally arrived with temperatures in the mid- to high to 20s. Those temperatures can cause permanent damage to homes and issues with water pipes.
“It can destroy your home," said Joseph Plunkett of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. "I mean, water flooding throughout the whole home, if it’s the piping that's running through the ceilings, then it can make every ceiling in the home fall down. Pretty much anytime below 30, now if it's just a day or two, you normally don't see a whole lot of problems but if it's consistent like we had last year, then yes, it causes a lot of problems,."
Last year’s winter event left thousands of East Texans without electricity and running water.
Experts advise residents to keep water pipes turned on and generators on standby.
“Your home is your biggest investment, so you want to protect it all you can,” said Plunkett. “The best thing to do in this is to leave your faucets running about the stream of a pencil tip, so it keeps the water constantly moving and to keep it from freezing.”
East Texans are stocking up on supplies early to ensure they have enough in case of another strong winter event.
“This year we're just making sure we have a little extra wood already in the house and maybe some extra cans in the pantry just to make sure we have lots of food around without having to get out,” said Anna Miller.
As people prepare, so are plumbing businesses like Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. Plunkett says his business is ready if any pipe issues occur.
“We’re always ready for anything you know that’s just kind of our line of business,” Plunkett added. “We have plenty of power to stuff on hand. I've got four trucks on standby in case emergencies happen throughout this week.”