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8gv · 02-28-2015, 08:00 AM

My friend called me late last night with a cold house. The propane furnace had quit due to snow obstructing the exhaust vent. The house was 32*.

A tech from the propane supplier got the furnace running again in less than an hour. Now the task of thawing and assessment has begun.

So far he has found three cracked toilets. We suspect that his refrigerator (water/ice disp.), dishwasher and washing machine could be damaged.

A larger concern is the pipes in the walls. They are pex.

He has the furnace heating up the house and the water is turned off at the supply. Towels are in place around the toilets to catch the water as they thaw.

He intends to call his insurance co. this morning.

My questions:

Does he just need a plumber or is this more of a Serv Pro type of job?

Can someone recommend a plumber for him?

Is pex better or worse than copper in this situation?

Why did he not buy a cold house alarm when I told him about the one I had installed in my house?

02-28-2015, 08:00 AM	#1
8gv Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 2,009 Thanks: 61 Thanked 701 Times in 455 Posts	Frozen Home Advice Request My friend called me late last night with a cold house. The propane furnace had quit due to snow obstructing the exhaust vent. The house was 32*. A tech from the propane supplier got the furnace running again in less than an hour. Now the task of thawing and assessment has begun. So far he has found three cracked toilets. We suspect that his refrigerator (water/ice disp.), dishwasher and washing machine could be damaged. A larger concern is the pipes in the walls. They are pex. He has the furnace heating up the house and the water is turned off at the supply. Towels are in place around the toilets to catch the water as they thaw. He intends to call his insurance co. this morning. My questions: Does he just need a plumber or is this more of a Serv Pro type of job? Can someone recommend a plumber for him? Is pex better or worse than copper in this situation? Why did he not buy a cold house alarm when I told him about the one I had installed in my house?