Polar Plunge Plagues Pipes Across OKC Metro

Oklahoma's polar plunge is keeping plumbers across the Oklahoma City metro very busy. A broken water pipe had firefighters out in force Monday at Centennial Mid-High in Oklahoma City. No students were at the school during the incident.

The frigid temperatures are causing water pipes to burst or become completely sealed off, according to plumbing companies.

"We've never had frozen pipes [until now]," Oklahoma City resident Olive Gray said.  

Plumbers spent a couple hours thawing Gray's pipes Monday. The experts are warning people to keep a small, steady stream flowing from those faucets, insulate exposed pipes and keep cabinets open during freezing conditions.

"We'll spend an hour to up to three or four hours just trying to thaw pipes out," said technician Wes Norton of Herman's Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

Norton has what's called a blow gun that uses heat. He also uses a thawing machine to create an electric shock to break up the ice. Norton says it's a non-stop battle during these brutal days of winter, running from one house to the next.

"When it's usually anywhere from 30 degrees or below, we start getting a lot of calls," Norton said.

The Oklahoma City Public School District says the pipes at Centennial Mid-High will be fixed before classes Tuesday.