Cold weather could cost you thousands in plumbing

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The recent freezing temperatures can turn your water pipes to ice. If you're not careful, they can cause major problems when they start thawing.

Just like fire alarms there are alarms that can alert you of a pipe leak or if it's about to freeze. Greg Yoder, the owner of Lafayette's Hi-Tech Heating and Cooling, said these alarms could cost homeowners thousands of dollars in water damage. 

"I've spent a couple days going through and fixing water damage," Yoder said. "You get one fix, you turn it on, and you get a leak somewhere else."

Yoder said this is the time he's responding to not only frozen pipes, but the big mess those pipes can cause once they're thawed. The frozen water causes the pipes to expand. That makes them a perfect spot for leaks.

Yoder said there are many options making it easier for people to avoid a wet mess. For just a couple hundred dollars you can get alarms. One detects water leaks. The other will alert you if your house temperature drops. It can give you peace of mind and save you thousands.

"The basement looked like a swimming pool," Yoder said about a burst pipe he worked a decade ago. "The heat was off. It was like a $150,000 claim. It all could've been prevented with [the alarms] because you know in minutes."

That burst pipe allowed 400,000 gallons of water to wreck a West Lafayette home.

Yoder invited News 18 in to his home to see how a professional protects himself from frozen pipes. A spray-on foam protects his walls and pipes. And he has a temperature detecting alarm in his home.

"It's set on 95 for the high in the summer time, and 45 for low in the winter time," Yoder said.

Everything Yoder has in his home is something any average homeowner can buy. Local insulation, heating and cooling, and security businesses have the capability of installing everything.

However, if it's too late for you and your pipes are already frozen, Yoder said to have your water turned off then use a space heater to start thawing it out. Then, you can see what problems come up.