Southwest Florida plumbers don't expect pipes to freeze with our cold weather

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Southwest Florida is preparing for the cold snap, but local plumbing experts said there's nothing to worry about with your pipes.

Michael Mele, president of Lee County Plumbing, said the worry is not frozen pipes or sprinklers, but pre-existing conditions can be exposed with the colder weather.

"It's highly unlikely that you're gonna have any freeze problems with water in your pipes," Mele said. "If you have exposed pipe to UV rays, they do get brittle over time, and the freeze could bring that out,."

Click here to see Fox 4 Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with Mele about the weather and the pipes.

Mele said their most common call right now is about backflow preventers.

"You could cover it up, but it's highly unlikely that you're going to get a freeze that will freeze your water inside of a backflow preventer," Mele said.

For pool owners, Mele said there is nothing to worry about, but you can take precautions just in case.

"If you are concerned about it again, it's highly unlikely that you're going to have any freeze problems when water in your pool or your pipes, you could leave it running all night, if you are concerned," Mele said.

For water to actually freeze in pipes, it takes time.

"It takes eight to 12 hours with an inch of water for it to freeze," Mele said.

But if you're worried, just turn on your faucet to a trickle.

Mele wants the community to avoid online misinformation, so call a licensed contractor if you have any concerns.

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