Massachusetts residents battle leaky pipes and cold temps; warming centers open
WORCESTER - The extreme cold has heating companies and plumbers out fixing broken systems, and the dangerous conditions have driven Massachusetts communities to open up heating centers, such as the one at the Worcester Public Library.
Heating systems taxed
The crew from Garabedian Plumbing was fixing a leaky boiler on Tuesday after a weekend full of no-heat calls.
Plumber Mike Ganas was kept busy over the weekend repairing heating systems. "I only did no-heat calls. And I worked from 8 in the morning or so until about 1 a.m."
Homeowner Kara Kimball was trying to keep her 1-year-old entertained while the heat was being fixed, but she planned to head over to a friend's house in the afternoon to keep warm.
"I sort of let it get into the 60s, and now, it's like, OK, it's time," she said.
Avoid heating breakdowns
Ganas said there are things homeowners can do to keep heating systems running well, including:
- Get routine maintenance on your heating system.
- Check your thermostat batteries.
- Don't fidget with the temperature.
"If your house is at 60, 62, it's going to stay there. You're not using a ton of fuel. If it's 50 degrees in the house and you're trying to increase it to 60, 65, the equipment has to work that much harder," Ganas said.
Outdoor workers "keep moving:
The cold is even harder on those working outside, like police working a detail and gas crews replacing lines.
"I personally have, like, three layers of pants on, and it's just tough. Even when you are moving. ... Nothing you can do. Just try to keep moving as much as you can," said Carlos Ruiz, a gas line foreman.
And it's tough for those living outside. One man said he's lived outside for four years.
"It's very cold," he said. "It's not good. It's not fun."
Worcester has opened a warming center at the Worcester Public Library on Salem Street. It was open until 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and will reopen Wednesday at 9 a.m. Worcester Public Schools will also have a two-hour delay on Wednesday due to the cold.
