Pipes freezing in Mid-Missouri

This weekend Mid-Missouri will be seeing some winter weather and cold temperatures, which could cause problems for property owners.

Frozen pipes are not only an expensive fix, they can also leave your family without water.

By Friday afternoon Roto-Rooter plumbing was called out to two frozen pipes.

So far this year they have fixed close to 50 in Columbia alone.

It is a problem that can affect us all when those temperatures drop, especially at night, but it is avoidable.

“A pipe bursts due to freezing and it’s a water line nothing is going to happen until the water thaws out,” said Rob Marrone with Roto-Rooter plumbing.

“Most of the time it’s a pretty simple fix, we come in and thaw the pipe out and people are good to go again,” said Marrone.

However, it comes with a price tag of anywhere from $100 to $1,000, depending on the damage done.

Luckily though there are ways to prevent this.

“There are a couple of different ways. There is a product called heat tape,” said Marrone.

Heat tape wraps around the pipe and you plug it in, it then puts a low voltage through the tape that keeps the pipe warm.

You can also add armor flex to your pipes.

“It has a Styrofoam consistency and it goes around the outside of the pipe,” said Marrone.

An easier fix could be just leaving a sink or bathroom door open.

“Sometimes the warmth from the house going under the kitchen sink will help prevent the pipes from freezing,” said Marrone.

A myth that many of us have heard is to keep a small amount of water dripping from your sink.

Marrone said in some cases that could work because moving water freezes slower than still water, however, he has still seen several instances in which pipes have still frozen up from that technique.