Firefighters Expect to See More Frozen Pipe Calls

Merrimack Assistant Fire Chief Richard Pierson said the winter's first cold snap last week didn't deliver too many frozen pipe calls, but he expects that could change in a hurry as the town gets ready for another cold snap this week.

Pierson, who has served with the Merrimack Fire Department for 25 years, said frozen pipe calls are very common whenever extreme cold temperatures are followed by more moderate temperatures. Usually, frozen pipes don't burst until a few days after a cold snap, he said.

"We have seen a few and the ones we’ve seen happen to be vacant homes where for some reason they were sold and not yet occupied or being held by the banks," said Pierson.

On Sunday, he said firefighters had one of their first frozen pipe calls at a vacant home on Birchwood Drive. He said there was no heating oil in the oil tank and no heat in the house when firefighters arrived on the scene and water damage had already taken place. He said every pipe had split.

On Monday morning, Pierson said members of the Merrimack Water District were able to shut the water off to minimize any further damage.

Pierson said the problem isn't just limited to residential homes. He said sprinkler systems in commercial buildings can be vulnerable to freezing if they are located in unheated areas like the attic. Regardless if frozen pipes burst inside a home or a business, the result still amounts of thousands of dollars of water damage.

His best advice for property owners as they endure another cold snap this week is to make sure pipes are located in a heated area. If pipes are not in a heated area, drain the water from the pipes and make sure they are insulated, he added.

"You just have to make sure they are not sitting in an area where is a cold draft," Pierson added.

He also stressed that it is never a good idea to use a heated flame to un thaw frozen pipes as one Manchester landlord found out last weekend.

On Monday afternoon, Pierson said the Merrimack firefighters know they will see more frozen pipe related calls as temperatures moderate following the latest cold snap.

“So far, it hasn’t really been that bad. But we just really got into cold weather last week.”