JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Plumbers across Northeast Florida were responding to calls regarding burst pipes after the Arctic blast that passed through the area.
Over the weekend, the cold snap brought temperatures to the teens, accompanied by even colder wind gusts. For Westside resident Cynthia Hyde, the weekend turned into a nightmare when she discovered water pouring into her apartment.
“I heard dripping coming in the apartment,” Hyde said. “I look initially and it was coming from where the air conditioning is. Then I walk in bathroom and it was like pouring from the closet in the bathroom.”
Hyde had to wait until Monday morning before a crew arrived to address the flooding in her apartment complex. The extent of the damage remained unclear.
Ryan Heitman, owner of Pureflo Plumbing on the Westside, said his team was overwhelmed with calls from property owners facing similar emergencies.
“We knew coming into it with the cold weather dropping, we were going to have some issues like this,” Heitman said. “Yesterday at 7:30, phones started blowing up, we had calls left and right.”
To prevent pipe bursts during frigid temperatures, Heitman recommended:
- Keeping faucets dripping overnight
- Wrapping exposed pipes
- Leaving cabinet doors open to allow indoor pipes access to heat
The crisis didn’t discriminate between municipal water users and those on private wells. For well users, Heitman advised shutting off power to the system to prevent pump damage.
“Pretty much just shut power off to system. Don’t burn that pump up. If you let it run consistently, it’s going to be more expensive,” he explained.
Repairs required plumbers to cut out and replace sections of burst pipes, a complex process that left residents like Hyde frustrated after dealing with flooding for extended periods.
“I had water pouring into my apartment for 24 hours,” Hyde said.