NORFOLK, Va. — Frigid temperatures could lead to frozen pipes in Hampton Roads.
“We do have an influx of calls that come in," Precision Plumbing owner Paul Core said.
Core has his staff ready to respond to frozen pipes, but he knows handling all the calls will be challenging.
Watch: Essential tips from experts for winterizing your home this season
“It’s frustrating at the time because you’re so busy," said Core. "We book our calls several days in advance, and then when these calls come in, luckily we leave a couple guys where we have some openings. The problem is, it’s so many calls even they get inundated with calls.”
Core said the issue stems from people not knowing how to take care of their pipes. He recommends covering outdoor faucets and wrapping pipes with some type of insulation.
Watch: How to prevent frozen pipes in your home this winter
The city of Norfolk is also making changes to deal with the influx of calls.
“We’ve increased our after-hours or on-call staffing," City of Norfolk Utilities Assistant Director Mary Keough said.
While that could mean a lot of overtime and extra money, Keough said that’s not going to be an issue.
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"It does make it challenging," Keough responded when asked if the potential overtime makes budgeting challenging. "But the priority is to make sure our customers have water.”
You can call the department to report a frozen or burst pipe anytime at 757-823-1000.
Virginia Beach insurance agent Greg Lewis says most of the time, frozen and burst pipes are covered by insurance.
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“It’s more of a rare occurrence, but when it does happen, it kind of happens in droves," Lewis explained.
Before filing an insurance claim, call your insurance agent and let them know what’s going on.
"From there, we usually recommend getting a quote at least for the damage to see what it is. Because if your deductible is higher than the damage you suffered, then there's no reason to open a claim because you can avoid that premium increase," said Lewis.
If you do have to pay out of pocket, expect the bill to be between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars.
