Watch CBS News

What happens if you lose heat during this freezing cold? A plumbing and heating expert weighs in

Taking care of your pipes and furnace during frigid temperatures
Taking care of your pipes and furnace during frigid temperatures 02:25

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - With temperatures dipping into the negatives this morning, experts are sharing tips on how to protect your home during this cold snap, too.

Wahl Family Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing said they've experienced an influx of calls over the last few days for homes without heat and/or frozen pipes.

"I would say it's probably triple what we typically see this time of year," David Wahl, CO of Wahl Family Heating, Cooling and Plumbing said. "Whenever we have the no heat situation that makes the frozen pipes quite a bit worse, but we're definitely battling both of those right now."

He said if a homeowner loses heat and is going to leave their home to go elsewhere to stay warm, they should turn off the water and open as many faucets as they can.

"Whenever the water freezes, it's gonna expand and it's gonna split your pipes. If you shut the water off and we open the taps in the house that water has somewhere to go. It has somewhere to expand. I'm not guaranteeing that it won't freeze a pipe, but it's the best thing a homeowner can do to prevent the pipes from splitting," Wahl said.

Wahl said if you don't, there's a chance the pipes can burst which could cause even bigger problems.

"If that heat stops working and you leave, I mean, you can cause hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to the home and the heating system," Wahl said.

He said if your pipes freeze, homeowners can try to use space heaters or even a hair dryer to thaw them out.

"An easy way for a homeowner is just getting the house really hot. So, if you have a frozen pipe situation, but the heat still works, try to get the house to 80 degrees if you can. Open the cabinets. So, if your kitchen sink isn't working, open those cabinets. Get warm air into there," Wahl said. "Space heaters can also be used. A hairdryer can be used. You just, you know, you got to be cognizant of what you're heating up, not just the pipe, but the materials behind it, and if they're combustible, you have to be aware of that."

Wahl also reminds you to make sure the space heaters are on a separate circuit before you start plugging them in.

"You need to make sure you select the right circuits with space heaters and that you're putting them on different circuits so you're not tripping breakers," Wahl said.

He said with it being the coldest day of the year, it's also important to keep the same temperature in your house, rather than adjust it throughout the day.

"For people that have a programmable thermostat, one that maybe sets back cooler at night or changes temperatures throughout the day, there's a button on those thermostats called hold. You don't want to try and let your thermostat get colder and warmer at this time of year. The furnace is designed to heat the home on the coldest day of the year. Well, that's today. It can't recover. So if you have it, go down and try and come back up, it likely won't," Wahl said. "My recommendation is to set it at one temperature you're comfortable with and let it go until we get back up into normal temperature ranges."

Lastly, Wahl stressed the importance of having a carbon monoxide detector in your home.

"A carbon dioxide detector is a must in every home, but we're seeing that when we're going on these no heat calls, and people are trying to get their heat back on. We do a safety inspection on the equipment. We find out it's not safe to operate, and so that's something that you definitely have to be cognizant of," Wahl said. "If you have a heating or plumbing professional in your home and they're finding carbon monoxide or gas leak, it's not to try and scare you, but it's trying to make you aware because it's a very real threat."  

"If a carbon monoxide alarm goes off in your home, they're designed to pick up emergency amounts, so if that goes out off, you have to get out of the house. It's not letting me open the window, or get out of the house because carbon monoxide makes you feel sleepy, makes you feel tired, and then you don't wake up. It's pretty dangerous, so you must take it seriously," Wahl said.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.