Why are so many pipes bursting? Here’s what one metro plumber says – WSB-TV Channel 2

COBB COUNTY, GA — Hundreds of Metro Atlanta families apparently had to deal with burst water pipes during this holiday cold spell.

Dave Huddleston on Channel 2 I learned that building codes and the warmer climate may have played a role.

Huddleston spoke with a plumbing company owner. He said he had two reasons not to insulate the pipes the way it is done in other parts of the country.

On Acworth’s City Wide Plumbing, owner David Johnson talks about the non-stop phone calls since Friday.

He has 10 plumbers, all running from one service call to the next.

“I feel guilty every time I call because I can’t be there until Thursday,” Johnson said.

Johnson told Huddleston that most of the calls came from broken pipes from extremely cold temperatures.

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“Freezing can stop the water from coming out. But at least it’s not all over your house. When thawing starts, water will come out where it shouldn’t come out.” says Johnson.

Johnson said there are several reasons why so many pipes have burst or broken in the Atlanta subway.

“We don’t insulate our pipes like you do in the north. We don’t encapsulate our houses like you do in the north. We’re here — there’s humidity and stuff like that, and if you make the house too tight, it’s going to get moldy,” Johnson said.

He says there’s not much we can do about building codes, but we can insulate pipes for the winter.

“If you have outdoor pipes on the exterior walls, you have to be careful there. Wrap all outside faucets, outside faucets. If your garden hydrants stick out of the ground, wrap them.” Johnson said.

He told Huddleston to let the water drip from the faucet during cooler temperatures to keep the water flowing.

Johnson said he would rather pay $20 extra for water bills than $800 for broken pipes.

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