A West Side man trying to thaw frozen water pipes Tuesday twice had to call Buffalo firefighters to his home and prompted some cold weather advice from Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield.

The call for the first fire at 1177 West Ave. came in at 11:51 a.m., fire officials reported. The homeowner put out the fire in the first-floor bathroom wall before trucks arrived, and damage was minimal.

The first time we went to his house, he was using a hand-held torch, and we told him you cant use an open flame. So he went and rented an electric heat gun, Division Chief Patrick M. Britzzalaro said. Some of these heat guns give off temperatures anywhere from 1,000 to 1,400 degrees, depending on the model, and that is sufficient enough to ignite old dry wood in a house like that.

Its like a blow-dryer for your hair, but it gets a lot hotter and does not have an open flame, Whitfield said. So he put it in the wall in that confined space. The device heated up, melted and it started another fire.

The second fire call came in at 1:52 p.m. This time the fire traveled up the bathroom wall after the heat gun ignited wooden studs in the walls channels, Britzzalaro said. Damage was set at $10,000.

Most of the homes where pipes freeze occur in residences that are much older, and a lot of them do not have insulation, he said. This type of fire wont be the last one we have while temperatures are in the single digits and teens, unless we get the word out that you cant use an electric heat gun or an open flame.

Its not the pipe itself that ignites the fire, Whitfield said. Its the surrounding material. Oftentimes the pipes run under the floor or inside the walls, and that material is usually wood, and thats what starts the fire.

It may be a delayed reaction, Whitfield continued. Youre working in confined spaces where you may not see anything until the fire manifests itself. Once there is enough heat, oxygen and fuel, youll get a fire. We are talking substantial loss of property and potential loss of human lives.

A similar incident Jan. 8, a day after the blizzard, caused a two-alarm fire in a 2-story home at 200 Abbott Road in South Buffalo. The house was a total loss.

A tenant there was using a propane-fueled torpedo heater to try to thaw the pipes, police said. The blaze caused $120,000 damage and left four adults and one child homeless, fire officials said.

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West Side man trying to thaw plumbing twice starts a fire

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HANHAM plumber Andy Parsons is celebrating after securing his place among the Professional Darts Corporation's elite players for at least the next two years.

The 32-year-old secured his ProTour card at the PDC's Qualifying School in Wigan and will now compete alongside Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and the rest of darts' superstars on the professional circuit.

Parsons, who hit a nine-dart finish at last year's Qualifying School only to miss out on a tour card made sure of his place this time around.

With 360 players bidding for only 40 tour cards, Parsons made sure of his on the second of four days of qualifying, winning seven matches in a row to seal his spot.

"The earlier the better I wanted to get it done in the first two days if I could, because by the time you get to the final day, everyone is scrambling around trying to get through and the pressure is really on," said Parsons.

Parsons will join fellow Bristol players Mark Dudbridge and Steve Brown on the professional circuit, having practiced alongside the duo at their Cafe 501 venue in Staple Hill.

Another Bristolian, Steve Grubb, also secured his tour card in Wigan.

"There are so many quality players in Bristol and it's really helped me out, because that good standard has got me ready for this," he said.

"To get my tour card is fantastic, because it allows me to enter all the events. The UK Open qualifiers are up first and, having been in the UK Open the last two years, it would be great to qualify again this year, especially as it's moving from Bolton to Minehead."

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AKRON, Ohio - January has already been an extremely busy month for plumbers thanks to many frozen and busted pipes caused by the Polar Vortex.

"I think within a three-day period, we received 400 calls," said Keith Miller, owner of Plumbing and Flooding 911, based in Norton.

With another arctic blast expected to settle over Northeast Ohio this week, plumbers are bracing for more emergency calls.

"When there are water lines on an outside wall, like a fixture on an outside wall, that's going to be prone to freezing, so the biggest thing is to add some sort of heat source," Miller said.

Insulation sleeves can be a solution because the protection should keep the the pipes warmer for a longer period of time. However, Miller said those are not foolproof.

"Insulation will protect it from being cold, but if it stays cold, that means it can still freeze. If it's insulated, the insulation is just going to keep the cold in there longer," he said.

Miller also suggested using fiberglass insulation around pipes in smaller spaces along outside walls.

Other tips to avoid frozen pipes include opening up kitchen and bathroom cabinets so that warm air reaches the pipes, and let your faucets run a slow, steady stream rather than a drip.

"That way the water is moving through the pipe. It won't be subject to freezing because it's being moved through the pipes," Miller explained.

If your pipes freeze, rubbing them with a warm, damp rag could help thaw the line.

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Plumber: Prepare your pipes now for arctic blast

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Jan. 21, 2014, midnight

AN Albury plumber is about $30,000 out of pocket after shunting a parked car five metres when attempting to elude a pursuing highway patrol officer, a court heard yesterday.

AN Albury plumber is about $30,000 out of pocket after shunting a parked car five metres when attempting to elude a pursuing highway patrol officer, a court heard yesterday.

Timothy Kevin Benyon contacted the insurance company for a woman whose car was shunted and has been told the bill is likely to be about $15,000.

Solicitor Kel Clowry said in Albury Local Court Benyon was facing a similar damage cost and must foot the bill himself because he was drink-driving.

Benyon appeared for sentencing on charges of failing to stop in a police pursuit and high-range drink-driving.

Benyon, 26, of Mountford Crescent, was detected by a highway patrol car travelling at excessive speed in his Volkswagen Amarok on East Street about 11.20pm on October 25.

The officer clocked him at 94km/h.

The lights on the police vehicle were activated indicating for Benyon to stop but he increased speed to 106km/h.

There was a short pursuit with Benyon hitting the parked car in Fletcher Street before mounting a kerb.

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Greenville, SC (PRWEB) January 20, 2014

With an unusually cold winter so far, GS Plumbing wants to provide some tips for preventing frozen pipes. According to an article on heraldonline.com from Jan. 6, temperatures were expected to hit single digits. Greenville hasnt hit single digit temperatures since 1996. This kind of weather is especially dangerous for pipes.

GS Plumbing advises to:

1) Insulate pipes from the cold, moving air and keep dry - remember to insulate or heat drain lines in crawl spaces and basements.

2) Use heated tape or a lamp to keep pipes warm on really cold nights.

3) If electric isn't available, keep water running at a slow constant drip - this costs less than a repair of a broken pipe.

4) If a pipe is frozen, check for splits on plastic and copper pipes and call a plumber if a split is detected. All metal pipes can be thawed slowly using a hair dryer.

5) Always disconnect hoses from outdoor spigots to keep water from freezing inside hose and going up into the spigot.

An added convenience in cold weather is a comfort recirculation pump system that continually re-circulates the cold water through pipes and heats it so there is instant hot water at all sink and tub/shower faucets.

For help with frozen pipes and repairs, call GS Plumbing today, 864-268-7394.

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GS Plumbing Offers Tips on Preventing Frozen Pipes

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