GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – As northeast Wisconsin pushes toward the end of January, dangerously cold temperatures are continuing to cause problems across the region.
From vehicles struggling to start to icy road conditions, the frigid weather has also brought a major concern for homeowners: frozen pipes.
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Local plumbers say the extreme cold has resulted in a sharp increase in emergency calls as pipes freeze, burst and cause water damage inside homes and businesses.
Andy Ambrosius, owner of Royal Flush Plumbing Service, said he never expected the volume of calls his team has received.
“It’s been endless,” Ambrosius said. “We’ve had an extremely high amount of calls coming in. It’s been a lot of frozen pipes inside walls, frozen pipes in basements and ceilings. We’ve had shower valves break. It has been nonstop — we’ve been cutting walls since sunup until well past midnight.”
Ambrosius said his crews have been sharing prevention tips with homeowners in hopes of limiting further damage as temperatures remain dangerously low.
“Keep some water running — a slow stream about the size of a pencil,” he said. “Open up cabinets and make sure any closed-off areas are getting heat to them.”
Royal Flush Plumbing reported responding to 15 service calls over the weekend alone, with that number climbing to 22 by Tuesday.
Crews say the problems have varied widely depending on the property.
“Urinals running and freezing off the valve, cutting open ceilings at restaurants, frozen pipes under sinks, kitchen cabinets freezing up,” Ambrosius said. “We cut open three walls just to replace shower valves. It’s been a mess.”
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Despite the challenges, Ambrosius says his team remains committed to helping customers around the clock.
Royal Flush Plumbing continues to operate at all hours as long as freezing temperatures persist, urging residents to take preventative steps before pipes have the chance to freeze.
