ENID, OK - The biggest fear for most homeowners during this frigid cold spell has been frozen and broken water lines. Temps on Monday hovered around 0º throughout the day.
Several business around the Enid area were closed due to frozen pipes and dozens of residents were posting on social media that they were experiencing the same problem in their homes.
World Harvest Church has reported that they had a water pipe break between 2:30pm and 3:00pm today. The running water has flooded 75% of the 16,000 sq. ft. building.
Church member Kinsley Jordan said the water was anywhere from 2 - 4 inches deep in some places.
The National Weather Service says with clearing skies and light wind this evening and overnight, temperatures will plummet to record levels in many areas. All-time record lows are possible by early Tuesday morning.
The American Red Cross says pipes that freeze most frequently are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, and water sprinkler lines.
Water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets can easily freeze as well as pipes that run against exterior walls that have little or no insulation.
The Red Cross website suggests these tips to prevent frozen pipes:
1. Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
2. Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
3. When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing.
4. Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
5. If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.
