Families stock up on firewood, plumbers prepare for cold blast
ATLANTA - An anticipated hard freeze has many people flocking to pick up firewood and plumbers gearing up to fix broken pipes.
Andrew Navarro with RS Andrews Plumbing told FOX 5 News it’s important to let faucets drip generously not dribble both hot and cold water so pipes won’t freeze.
He also said for many homes it’s important to turn on sinks at both ends of the home.
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“So if you’ve got a really long house you want to turn on the sink on both ends of the home to keep water flowing through the pipes so they don’t freeze,” said Navarro.
He also said open cabinet doors at exterior walls to let warm indoor air waft over the pipes.
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Other tips include not leaving hoses attached to outdoor spigots and protecting exposed pipes with insulation.
Navarro said RS Andrews Plumbing had so many calls during last week’ deep freeze they couldn’t keep up.
“And with as many calls as we’re getting right now it’s hard to keep up and I hate to say it but we have to protect our homes,” said Navarro.
Eric Hassel, who lives in Decatur, told FOX 5 News he covers vents to the crawl space of his house to keep warm air in his home.
He also enjoys another way of staying warm.
“The main thing I do is have a big pot of chicken soup ready to keep us warm,” said Hassel.
At Firewood King in Decatur George Carleton, who uses a wood-burning stove to heat his 1920’s uninsulated bungalow, was among a slew of holiday customers.
He buys mostly oak, never pine.
“No pine, don’t burn pine, too much resin in it, too much creosote. In your chimney, it can cause a chimney fire. Stay away from pine,” said Carleton.
Owner Bill Cameron said he doesn’t sell pine. He told FOX 5 News he gets firewood, mostly oak, from many tree cutting companies.
Cameron told FOX 5 News all over metro Atlanta people are picking up firewood, one or several stacks at a time.
At his shop, it’s $35 a stack enough to fill a good size car trunk.
Cameron advises people who use firewood to use it safely.
“Just tend to the fire and keep an eye on it make sure you know your fire, you know to be around it,” said Cameron.
Another safety tip comes from fire departments all over Metro Atlanta who remind people to never use ovens or barbeques as indoor heating sources because that can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
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