1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Boy, you better lean on this guy if you want 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: to know what's going on. It's our buddy Gary Sullivan. 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: You can listen to him in nearly three hundred stations 4 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: across America, and of course we're lucky to have him 5 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: our sister station wuk RC starting at nine o'clock Saturdays 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: and Sundays. Gary, I really enjoyed catching up with you 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: last night. How was the grandchildren's holiday concert last night? 8 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 2: Exhilarating? Exhilarating, exhilarating. It was fun. 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 3: It's nothing like watching a bunch of fourth graders sing 10 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 3: to you Christmas. 11 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 2: No doubt about it. 12 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: Now, I tell you what's not exhilarating if you get 13 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: a frozen water pipe. Oh all right, So let's start 14 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 1: with the very basic kind of thing, okay, and that 15 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: is where do most people find or know if they 16 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: have a frozen water pipe? 17 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 3: Well, usually you find out one of the faucets that 18 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 3: you use. I know when I had one one time. 19 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 3: My daughter was probably in the eighth grade. 20 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 2: Dad, there's no water in my pathtop? 21 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 3: Uh, well, right behind that walls the attic, so the 22 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 3: frozen pipe must be there. 23 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 2: So a lot of times people find out, really because 24 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 2: the water's just not working. 25 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 3: But those water pipes are usually located along an outside wall, 26 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 3: especially in older homes where there's no insulation in the walls, 27 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 3: basement crawl spaces, those aren't heated. And up near the 28 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 3: silt plates and the joist pockets where you get outside air. 29 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 3: That's a place unheated. Garages, you know, the old garages, yeah, yep, 30 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 3: and some of our older subdivisions where you pull down 31 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 3: underneath the house and there's you know, the heat rises 32 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,759 Speaker 3: and got an old rackety garage door. That's a that's 33 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 3: a prime spot for pipes to freeze. Underneath sinks on 34 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 3: exterior walls. Those are the main places. 35 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: So right now, even though you were telling me last 36 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: night that it's probably not cold enough yet, but we 37 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: know that that is on the way. In fact, we're 38 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: going to be the coldest we've been in as far 39 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: as a high today is concerned, as far as a 40 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: low tonight is concerned. 41 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 3: Right. 42 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: So what I mean, is this the kind of thing 43 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: that you can begin to address now? 44 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 2: Oh? 45 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 3: Absolutely, Okay, I've been appreciating it on my show for 46 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 3: a while. You know, where people get in trouble, it's 47 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 3: not the people that have lived in the house for 48 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 3: twenty five years. They've probably experienced it. They've probably rectified 49 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 3: it over the years. But you know, somebody it's moving 50 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 3: into a new home, but it's an older home, you know, 51 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 3: and they've not been through a really cold winter's It's 52 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 3: not really. 53 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 2: Cold enough now unless the pipe is outside. 54 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 3: You know, it's twenty nine degrees, but it gets down 55 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 3: to five degrees or zero degrees, those addicts get really cold. 56 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 3: The cross spaces get really cold, those outside walls get 57 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 3: really cold, and then. 58 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 2: You're going to have problems. 59 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 3: So really trying to understand your house and where the 60 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 3: pipes are and where they're vulnerable. There's easy ways to 61 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 3: keep them from freezings. Some just opening up a cabinet and. 62 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 2: Letting the heat of the room in there. 63 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 3: Put foam wraps around the pipes that are against outside walls, 64 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 3: if you know you don't have any insulation, those are 65 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 3: great ways to prevent the problem. 66 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: Okay, now there is a difference some of the material 67 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: makeup of some of these pipes. Let's start with, do 68 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: you thaw copper pipes pecs plumbing the same way. 69 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, so pes is. 70 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 3: Kind of you know in newer homes, but you know 71 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 3: they can be vulnerable too, so they can freeze. 72 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 2: Pecks. Pipes can freeze. If you're not familiar with what 73 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 2: pecks is. 74 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 3: It's kind of like a kind of a rubber hose 75 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:31,639 Speaker 3: instead of a copper pipe. 76 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 2: So they both freeze. And when water inside of pipe freeze. 77 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 3: You know, they when it turns ice, it kind of expands, 78 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 3: it's it breaks the pipe. 79 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: It can stretch the pipe. 80 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 3: Copper can get a big bubble in it, and then 81 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 3: a split pecs can just crack. But sometimes they're just 82 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 3: frozen and there's no damage, and that's really when you 83 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 3: want to catch it, and when you find where the 84 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 3: frozen pipe is. So if you're not getting water out 85 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 3: of the tap, you got to kind of figure out that. 86 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 2: Where that pipe goes, and you can usually quickly find 87 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 2: where it's vulnerable. 88 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 3: May it's supposed to be in a walll cavity with 89 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 3: insulation around it, and yet it you know, when they 90 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 3: built the house, maybe the plumber missed the cavity. 91 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 2: And that happened to me, and you know, so you 92 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 2: got to get up there. 93 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 3: But doing it before it gets really cold is a 94 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,239 Speaker 3: good time to do it. But once you're not getting 95 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 3: water out, find a pipe, and that's when you start 96 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 3: the process. 97 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 2: Of falling it. 98 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 3: The first thing you do is open up the faucet 99 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 3: that wasn't delivering the water. 100 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 2: Keep it open, and. 101 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 3: Then pecks is going to be a little bit more sensitive. 102 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 2: Of how you thought it. 103 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 3: Never use an open flame, boy, I remember back in 104 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 3: the winters when we had really harsh winters, people trying 105 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 3: to fall pipes with torches propane torches. 106 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 2: Never do that. 107 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 3: It's such a huge dramatic change in temperatures. You can split, 108 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 3: you can split the pipe, and you could melt the pecks. 109 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 2: So for a copper pipe, you can you know, you 110 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 2: can use a heat gun just to put it on medium, 111 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 2: just kind of warm it. You could use a hair dryer, 112 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 2: That's what I was wondering about. A blow dryer. Yeah, sure, sure, 113 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 2: I've thought many a pipe with a hair dryer. I mean, 114 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 2: you gotta be patient. 115 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 3: You got to sit there for five or ten minutes, 116 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 3: you know, when you're sitting in the attic on Christmas morning, 117 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 3: which I was, and then when you hear the water run. 118 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 2: And say, yahoo, right right right right. 119 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 3: Warm towels can even thaw it. But you know, with pecks, 120 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 3: you want to you know, again, no open flame. You 121 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 3: want to be a little less aggressive. I don't know, 122 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 3: a heat gun might be pushing a little bit. I 123 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 3: prefer a hair dryer, but you could use a heat 124 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 3: gun if you put it on low. But you know, 125 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 3: just don't use an open flame. 126 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 2: I know there's still people that do that. 127 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 3: It falls it fast, but a lot of cases that 128 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 3: pipe will burst, and it will burst maybe behind a wall, 129 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 3: and then you got a real problem. 130 00:05:59,120 --> 00:05:59,919 Speaker 2: Ah, you talked about it. 131 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: Wrap styrofoam wrap, But is that the best thing to prevent, say, 132 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,279 Speaker 1: future freezing. You know, maybe they haven't frozen yet because, 133 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:10,359 Speaker 1: like you talked about, what, we're not there yet. But 134 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: is that the best thing to do as far as 135 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: preventing it happening anytime soon? 136 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, unless you're in a really really like maybe a 137 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 3: garage and you, I don't know, have virtually a really 138 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 3: really old door where that garage can get down to 139 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:33,280 Speaker 3: zero degrees when it's below zero outside. You know, the 140 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 3: foam wrap will help ninety percent of the time if 141 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 3: it's a really exposed area. I don't know why you 142 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 3: would have a copper pipe. Let's say there's one running 143 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 3: underneath the deck or something, and you didn't shut off 144 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 3: the water on the inside and drain it in the fall. 145 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,039 Speaker 3: The only way, you know, a heat or foam rap 146 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 3: is going to help you there. You almost got to 147 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 3: have a heat tape. And a heat tape is about 148 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 3: let's say an inch wide. 149 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 2: You don't over. 150 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 3: App a heat tape, but you wrap around the pipe 151 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,799 Speaker 3: with about a three in space between it. 152 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 2: It's got a thermostat in it. 153 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 3: You set it at thirty nine degrees and it keeps 154 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 3: that pipe warm and water flowing. 155 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 2: Make sure its UL approve though. 156 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: Okay, and you would be able to tell that what 157 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: what do you mean be able to No, I mean 158 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: there's markings on it that it is approved. 159 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah right, you don't have the UL 160 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 2: tag on it for sure. Yeah, good question. Okay, all right, all. 161 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: Right now, And just for the record, if you don't 162 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: address these things, and all of a sudden you have 163 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: a water pipe burst, yeah, you are looking at some 164 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: serious cash and maybe significant damage. 165 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 3: Well, absolutely, because unless you shut off the water, you'll 166 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 3: still have water into pipes. 167 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 2: You'll still have a disaster. 168 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 3: But you know, if you have a pipe that's frozen, 169 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 3: and let's say you discovered maybe a day later, like 170 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 3: right now, we don't use the upstairs kids have own. 171 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 2: And when it. 172 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:06,239 Speaker 3: Gets down, I would say when it's down in single digits, 173 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 3: are below zero, that's when pipes inside the home become vulnerable, 174 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 3: if they're exposed to areas that aren't heated, attics, cross spaces, garages, 175 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 3: outside walls, just as we talked about. And you know, 176 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 3: if you if you find a frozen pipe and you 177 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 3: know you're on your way to work or something, I 178 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 3: would certainly shut off the water, maybe drain the water 179 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 3: out of the pipes with the other. 180 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 2: Faucets, because if you leave. 181 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 3: Water in those pipes under pressure and it's frozen and 182 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 3: that copper line splits, you got the full force of 183 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 3: that whole water system spewing water on the inside of 184 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 3: the walls. That's a big, big problem. That a big 185 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 3: that's a big problem. That's that's when it gets real expensive. 186 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 3: And then you know, you know, you still got to pipe, 187 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 3: prepare and everything else. But that's the least of your problems. 188 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: No doubt about it. Great catching up with you. My 189 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: friend really enjoyed it last night. 190 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 2: It was fun. It was fun, all right, buddy. 191 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:02,719 Speaker 1: You have a great rest of your weekend and we'll 192 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: listen to you on fifty five KRC starting on Saturday. 193 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: Very good, Thanks Tonning, Gary Sullivan kind enough to join 194 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: us as he does every single Thursday. Hope that helped you. 195 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: I mean believe you heard it from him. He's the expert. 196 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 1: You have one of those bad boys freeze up and 197 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: you don't have the water turned off, and that thing 198 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: splits or ruptures entirely. Lord knows the amount of damage 199 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: that can be done to your house and things that 200 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: are important to you.