Warming temps, bursting pipes

As the thermometer inches above freezing some pipes – especially exposed onesmade of copper -could begin to leak.

That’s what happened at Tucanos in the First and Main Town Center in Colorado Springs had it’s sprinkler pipes burst. The leak caused minor damage to the restaraunt and knocked out the phone lines.

Plumbers say thatthe problem canbe caused as much by the temperatures inside as it is outside.

“They figure that when nobody is there why have it heating to 70 or 75 degrees, we’ll turn it down to 50 and that’s way too cold,” said Pat Lemley of Affordable Plumbing and Heat.

Lemley says that the newer types of pipes that are being installed are less susceptible to the cold, but that dripping faucets and opening up cabinets is still the best way top protect pipes when the thermometer plunges.