SOUTH BEND -- The cold temperatures are causing big problems for homeowners. Emergency Drain Service has been busy answering calls from people with frozen pipes.

Experts say when the temperature drops below 20 degrees pipes with little or no insulation are likely to freeze. People who live in mobile homes see this problem more often.

Juan Pezzarossi's day got off to a bad start.

"This morning we got up and I was going to take a shower and I realized there was no water," said Pezzarossi.

The culprit -- a frozen water line.

"A lot of plumbing is exposed to the elements and the only thing protecting it from the cold and the wind is the skirting. If folks don't have skirting tightly bound around their trailers, the slightest little bit of wind getting in there can actually cause the pipes to freeze," said Emergency Drain Service employee Jesse Davis.

To help thaw the line Pezzarossi decided to use a blow torch. But experts say that's not a good idea.

"People can be as careful as they want but those things spark up pretty quick and it can be a very dangerous situation,” said Davis.

Thawing frozen pipes doesn't come cheap. That's why places like Emergency Drain Service urge homeowners to take preventative measures.

"You can leave water trickle in a faucet and that will keep the water flowing through the pipes and keep it from freezing. You can drop a light bulb in an outdoor well pit just to give it some type of a heat source. And also if you open your cabinet underneath your cabinets, so the heat can more readily get in there to keep the pipes warm,” said Davis.

"The key is prevention and I wasn't ready for it," said Pezzarossi.

You can expect to pay more than $100 to get your pipes properly thawed. Experts say the longer you wait the more it will cost. And that's because the pipes can actually burst, which can cause a lot of damage to your home.