Local heating and plumbing companies have seen a spike in business while temperatures have hovered in the single digits. AP photo

Area heating and plumbing companies have seen a spike in business as frigid temperatures continue to grip the region.

The bulk of requests are for failing or broken heating systems, with several local plumbing, heating and air conditioning companies working late into the night to meet demand. Water pipes freezing also have become an issue as temperatures have hovered in the single digits.

“In the last couple of days we have probably received double the amount of calls due to the weather,” said Mark Johnson, owner of Johnson-Whitmeyer Plumbing-Heating Co. on East Second Street in Jamestown. “It’s just been so cold here that people are starting to see their heating systems break down.”

Johnson said he and his three employees have been fielding calls 24 hours over the last two days for frozen pipes and broken heating systems while the area has been in a wind chill warning. He said he is seeing a mix of repeat and new customers seeking emergency assistance.

“A lot of repeats and a lot of new people who never had problems before suddenly have problems,” Johnson told The Post-Journal. “It’s been a pretty dramatic increase.”

Mark Reed, owner of Reed’s Plumbing & Heating, said he, too, has seen an increase in business the last couple of days. Reed, who has owned his heating and plumbing business in Jamestown for 15 years, said this year’s cold front matches the one the city saw about three years ago. However, during that stretch there wasn’t as much snow on the ground to insulate homes and maintain heat.

“Furnaces are running harder and longer,” he said. “Parts are starting to wear out and break down. At least we have a little bit of snow this time to keep some of the heat in.”

Employees at H Jack’s Plumbing and Heating of Western New York also have been responding day and night for a variety of heating emergencies. Doug Birath said one employee watched the ball drop on New Year’s Eve while defrosting a customer’s water pipes in Warren, Pa.

“We work together as a team,” Birath said. “Whenever the weather drops you definitely see an increase in calls.”

H Jack’s Plumbing and Heating, based locally in Celoron but with locations in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, brought in technicians from Erie, Pa., to help with the local spike in business. Birath noted that one customer accidentally left a garage door open overnight, leading to frozen water pipes.

See The Sunday Post-Journal for complete coverage.