Frozen Pipes Thaw, Burst In Milder Temps Wednesday

DANVERS (CBS) -- Jen Keifer's boiler stopped working on New Year's Eve, ever since, she has eagerly been awaiting a visit from a plumber.

Temperatures in her home that got down to the thirties allowed ice to build up in the pipes in some baseboard heaters and crack.

"It has been all consuming since Saturday. We've been blow drying pipes and cleaning up water and calling plumbers," said Keifer.

To keep warm, the Keifers have set up space heaters throughout the home.

Plumber Frank Tumbarello of Cranney Home Services in Danvers answered the call and found cracks in the front room and a front closet. The cracks sent water streaming into the basement through the ceiling tile.

"You're looking at thousands of pounds of pressure pushing on that copper," explained Tumbarello.

He's been working 12-18 hour days to get through the overwhelming demand for home-heating issues.

The company's phones have been ringing off the hook with some customers seeing a wait time for service of at least a week.

Wednesday's milder temperature is giving technicians a window of opportunity to get to as many calls as possible before Thursday's storm and the temperature plunges again.

"If we don't get this resolved by then, then we're sitting through the cold until the next time it thaws," said Keifer.