Local company quickly responding to hundreds of plumbing calls
A flood of emergency calls for frozen and burst pipes has Northwest Washington plumbers scrambling to keep up. However, after the challenges of the last four years, Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing has already served hundreds of customers and is ready for more calls as temperatures rise.
Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing received 150 calls for frozen or burst pipes, mostly in Skagit and Whatcom counties, the weekend of Jan. 12-14. They were able to respond to 85% of the sites by Tuesday, Jan. 16. But there’s no rest for Barron’s plumbers on the horizon as they received another 200 emergency service requests Jan. 15-18 and more are expected as temperatures reach the 40s in most of Northwest Washington.
“This is when people really, really need us,” said Jordan Forbes, Plumbing Service & Operations Manager for Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing. “But we had people on standby status and were much more prepared than in the past.”
CEO Brad Barron said the company reluctantly pulled back from some service areas in 2022 due to unprecedented challenges.
“The pandemic in 2020 set off a domino effect when we entered a state of emergency, and the world seemingly stopped,” Barron said. “Supply challenges came to the forefront, with many suppliers needing help to get the correct product, get it in time, or get it at all. Then temperatures soared in the summer of 2021, and unprecedented cooling calls had us booked into the following year. Next came flooding, cold, and labor shortages—a series of challenges that affected us all. We felt the impact throughout our industry.
“But through these challenges, our team did not sit idly by! We invested in our people, families, and the community we call home. We headed off the labor shortages with the Barron Technician School. We grew our team dramatically and now have over 30 HVAC service technicians and over 20 plumbing team members in the field.”
Forbes said that as frozen pipes thaw, there is a pressure change in the pipes, which can lead to burst pipes. He suggests that residents and businesses open cabinets with any plumbing inside them, such as underneath sinks, to allow warm air to circulate in them. Forbes also recommended setting inside faucets so they slowly drip warm water.
“Moving water doesn’t freeze nearly as easily,” he said. For more tips related to prolonged freezing temperatures, check out Barron’s FAQs.
Committed to improving lives through its licensed technicians, electricians, plumbers, and Certified Home Performance Experts, Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing provides a wide range of heating, cooling, solar, electrical, plumbing, and indoor air quality products and services. It also offers a large selection of stoves and fireplaces in its Firelight by Barron showrooms.
Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing has become one of Northwest Washington’s largest and most respected home performance experts with showroom locations in Burlington and Ferndale. Approximately 215 local employees serve customers along the I-5 corridor from Blaine to Marysville, Oak Harbor to Concrete, and the San Juan Islands.
The Burlington showroom is at 560 S. Burlington Blvd., just north of Rio Vista Avenue. For service appointments and more information, call (360) 676-1131 or visit www.barronheating.com.