MILWAUKEE — Plumbers grapple with hefty workloads as the persistently frigid temperatures take a toll on water pipes in homes and businesses.

Steve Stachowiak worked on a frozen pipe on Friday. It’s a job he knows well after 15 years as a plumber in Milwaukee.

Every year, once the first big freeze sets in, Stachowiak said he always anticipates a surge of calls.

“This had a split right there,” he said, as he holds the broken pipe. “It just froze because the customer lost power, so what I’m doing now is I took this whole piece of pipe out, and I am going to replace it with PEX.”

PEX is a more flexible plastic pipe. Al Holtz, owner of Milwaukee Plumbing and Piping, recommended it to everyone because it’s more durable.

“A lot of people think copper is the best way to go for water piping,” said Holtz. “Milwaukee still uses copper water services, but the PEX water piping is what we would recommend putting in.”

Holtz monitors where his team of plumbers are throughout the city, using his GPS system. All of them go from one job to another and share their expertise with customers.

“If your heat does go out, they always recommend turning on your faucet just a small trickle to keep water moving,” said Stachowiak. “If you have areas, like in a basement where you feel cold drafts, it helps to identify the source of that draft and insulate it to prevent the chance of potential freezing in the future. It’s also good to keep your cabinet doors open if pipes are near an exterior wall.”

Holtz shared tips on what to do if pipes freeze.

If you ever find a busted pipe leaking water in your home or business, turn off the water to the property. The water valve is attached to your water meter, which is typically in a basement.

“If you do have an issue, and you have water spewing out of your home from a frozen pipe, you would just come down to your water meter to shut it off,” he said.