CLEARLAKE ? Frozen water pipes led to a watery mess at Clearlake Post Office on Wednesday. The loading dock at the rear of the building was soaked due to ruptured sprinkler system lines.
Lake County Fire Protection District was summoned to assist. The area was quarantined due to a potential for roof collapse.
Clearlake Post Master Ray Jones said he had no estimate on the damage at this point; however roof and other repairs will be needed. “There is obviously a break in the water. It dropped the whole sprinkler system,” he said. “The sheetrock in the roof will need to be replaced.”
The freeze caused sprinkler heads to protrude from their base nearly a foot.
In another freeze-related incident, owners at Highlands Inn in Clearlake Park, encountered a waterfall cascading from the roof over the second floor balcony due to a ruptured water line.
There are precautions homeowners can take to help prevent costly repairs due to extreme winter temperatures. First homeowners should identify areas most vulnerable to freezing such as basements, crawl spaces, unheated rooms and outside walls. Know where the main water shut-off valve is and if a pipe freezes and bursts, shut off the water immediately. Other tips include:
?Eliminating sources of cold air near water lines by repairing broken windows, insulating walls, closing off crawl spaces and eliminating drafts near doors.
?Protecting your pipes and water meter. Wrap exposed pipes with insulation or use electrical heat tracing wire, newspaper or fabric. For outside meters, keep the lid to the meter pit closed tightly and let any snow that falls cover it. Snow acts as insulation.
?Allowing a small trickle of water to run overnight in pipes vulnerable to freezing
?Opening cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing.
?Applying heat to frozen pipes by warming the air around them or by applying heat directly to the pipe. Hair dryers, space heaters or hot water can be used.
?Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks and leaks.
According to Lower Lake resident Carolyn Shipley ice covered Cache Creek Wednesday morning. “My husband and I have lived on Cache Creek for 25 years and we”ve seen the creek freeze before but never from bank-to-bank like it was Wednesday morning.”
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
