Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune
Changes to the Texas power grid have improved ERCOT’s ability to keep power flowing during major winter storms, but in an extreme scenario, the grid could still face rolling blackouts, a seasonal assessment shows.
With freezing weather en route to Houston, many homeowners are wondering about the fate of their pipelines, fearing a repeat of what happened during winter storm Uri early last year. Pipes in thousands of homes across the city froze and then burst during the historic cold snap in February 2021, causing millions of dollars in damage.
Local plumbing experts say that while residents should be aware of the potential risk that subzero temperatures bring, most homes in Houston should be much better off this time around.
“I think overall we’ll be fine,” said David Robbins of the Village Plumbers in Houston. “ERCOT has said it won’t turn off the electricity, so the inside of the house needs to stay warm enough to keep the pipes frost-free.”
During winter storm Uri, the state’s power grid failed, causing pipes to freeze and eventually expand and then burst. State officials said Wednesday they are confident the grid will hold up this week, although strong winds could cause tree limbs and other debris to fall on power lines in some areas, causing isolated outages.
Despite what should be a less severe winter storm, plumbing experts warn that residents should still plan ahead and take simple precautions that could save them a lot of money.
“If you have plumbing in an exterior wall, open up the cabinets and it will take ambient air into the house and help it stay under the cabinet to keep the pipes warm,” Robbins said. “That’s a very good idea. I highly recommend doing it.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner warned residents Tuesday not to let their faucets drip during the winter storm, out of concern it could cause a citywide low-pressure problem. But there are ways around that while still achieving the same goal.
“I would say, maybe if you’re at home, go to the bathroom and other areas of the house, turn the facets on occasionally just to keep the water moving through the pipes and then you should be fine in there,” Robbins said. . “The mayor doesn’t want the pipes leaking because of the pressure drop. I would suggest following what the mayor says.”
If homeowners leave Houston for the holidays, some plumbing experts say they can turn off their homes’ main water pipes, then turn on indoor faucets and flush the pipes to prevent them from freezing.
“In this temperature, I’m going to say it’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s a way of making sure nothing happens,” said John Eccles of Nick’s Plumbing in Houston. “When you drain your system, it never gets all the water out, so there’s a chance something crazy could happen, but water expands when it freezes, so that’s what happens when we don’t drain it.”
Eccles also suggests opening access points inside the attic to allow warmer air in the house to enter the cooler area of the attic that sometimes contains pipes.
Houston plumbers agree that while indoor plumbing must survive the cold, the story is different for outdoor plumbing.
“My biggest concern would be the pipes on the outside, the outside of the house,” said David Robbins. “Exposed pipes, such as hose bibs, water connections, valves, irrigation systems, must be protected.”
Despite the concerns, both Robbins and Eccles are confident that most homes in Houston will be fine during the freezing weather, though they said they are already getting calls from residents who aren’t sure how to prepare their homes for the extreme cold.
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Source: news.google.com