Plumbers warn homeowners to wrap pipes ahead of Christmas freeze, or pay hundreds in repairs

BATON ROUGE – While most people are looking forward to the holiday weekend, plumbers at Sunshine Plumbing are preparing for a flood of calls if history is any guide.

The owner, Dirk Payne, remembers years prior when things froze over in the capital area. 

“There were 300 phone calls a day trying to get a plumber,” he said. “Next week is going to be pretty much chaos if this freeze goes as planned.”

If you want to save your money for festivities, a simple act could go a long way. Payne says wrapping your exposed pipes on the exterior of your home will keep them from freezing and bursting, which could lead to an expensive repair during the holidays.

“Probably like most companies… it will be expensive to get a guy to get out of his house and leave his family on Christmas day,” Payne said about potential repairs.

Aside from wrapping pipes, all home faucets should be left on a slow drip until temperatures reach above freezing. Hose pipes should also be disconnected from the bib. 

Most plumbing services in the Greater Baton Rouge area will have someone on call during the holidays, including Sunshine Plumbing.