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Plumbing pile up: Christmas deep freeze still causing headaches

Weeks after the frigid weather during Christmas weekend, some are still dealing with burst pipes and waiting for clean up.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Three weeks after the Christmas deep freeze, many in the Midlands are still waiting to get their burst pipes fixed.

Sherry Rauch was on vacation in Costa Rica during Christmas weekend when she got a call about a burst pipe in the building of her business, Dutch Fork Family Dentistry. She called Whitehall Carpet Cleaning and Restoration.

"Oh. it was nauseating. They were sending me pictures of the ceiling tile that had collapsed to the floor. It's really hard to reschedule and schedule appointments, so we wanted to avoid that nightmare "

Whitehall Carpet and Cleaning owner Mike Lashway says across the Midlands many are on long waitlists to get service. He adds that his crews are currently working at 9 different locations and they're still receiving calls daily from people. He explains many of the homes and buildings in South Carolina weren't designed to withstand frigid weather.

"Whether there's a water heater connected or not, there's just pvc running in the attic and they're not insulated and those are the (water pipes) that are blowing and wrecking havoc."

He explains even the smallest crack on a pipe can cause unbelievable damage.

"We just feel really lucky that we found it when we did," Rauch said.

"So many people are on a backlog just trying to (clear) the wet, and the moisture, and the destruction."

Lashway's advice to avoid long-lasting and costly damage is to know where your home or business water shut off valve is located. If you have a burst pipe, shutting water off quickly is crucial.

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