Cold negatively impacting some business, helping others

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- The cold is hurting some businesses while helping others. Frozen pipes mean plumbers are busy.

Journeyman plumber Chris Williams with Senniger Plumbing says water is freezing and expanding in pipes all over the area.

“With the temperature dropping the way it has everything is bursting. There’s water everywhere,” Williams said.

Williams says he knows his fortune is other’s misfortune, like at Red Bang Bang where he’s working downtown.

The manager says the heat went first then came a burst pipe.

“Oh, this is awful. I mean we had them shut down all yesterday and there’s nothing we can do about it. If they don’t have running water, they can’t open,” Williams said.

The restaurant manager says he’s been forced to keep doors closed for two days now. He estimates he’s losing about $1,300 each day.

“All the things are related to the pipe. Like if the pipe doesn’t work, we can’t get water from it and we can’t cook the food and make money from it,” Han Gal, a friend of the manager, said.

Even with a sign on the door, customer after customer keeps trying to come inside. One was trying to pick up food for his office mates.

“I guess we’re going to have to make other arrangements. Very disappointing, and I have to go back and tell fellow members basically that there’s no Chinese today,” Gary Linville said.

Hopefully, there will be Chinese Friday. The restaurant manager says that’s when he hopes to be open again.

The plumbers say they have not been getting a lot of sleep. They have been up early and do not make it home until late at night.

They recommend you let your faucet drip a little to keep water moving through the pipes, which should help prevent it from freezing.