ODESSA, Texas — After more than 200 hours of below freezing temperatures in the Permian Basin, conditions are expected to finally warm up on Friday, February 18.
This could reveal plumbing problems for homeowners.
Plumbers say old pipes can crack but hold together in ultra cold conditions with ice.
Once temperatures warm up, that ice melts and water leaks can begin to show.
Water leaks and burst pipes pose numerous dangers to homeowners, from simple but costly damages to ceilings and walls, to being a possible cause of electric fires and shortages.
Experts say the first thing to do if you realize you have a water leak or burst pipe is to turn your water off at your water meter to prevent further damages.
Once the water is off, you'll likely need to call a plumber and possibly an insurance agent.
In the Permian Basin, waiting times for plumbers are beginning to stack up.
You can likely expect to wait a week, maybe a little more, maybe a little less
Though more help could be on the way, that's after Governor Greg Abbott approved a process for out of state plumbers and out of state insurance agents to receive temporary licenses to work on disaster damages.
Exceptions are also being made by the state for plumbers who have an expired licenses due to not fulfilling continuing education credits.