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TAYLORSVILLE — The owner of a longtime music store said Tuesday that extreme cold temperatures contributed to a fire suppression system malfunction that led to pipes breaking and a flooded storefront.
It was on a day when numerous pipe and waterworks issues were reported across northern Utah.
Dustin Hansen said when he and workers showed up to Graywhale — located at 1773 W. 4700 South — in the morning, they noticed one of the fire suppression pipes in the awning was sticking down low to the ground.
The situation, he said, grew worse with a leak. "And within about 25 minutes of that leak, we heard a very loud burst and rumble, and it sounded like someone turned on every shower in the apartment," he said. "Water started pouring through the windows, and then just started to flood through the windows onto the floor."
Property management scrambled to get a crew to the business.
"There's a whole fire suppression system that runs through the awning of this entire complex and they were leaking antifreeze," Hansen told KSL-TV. "They said that the system failed, and with the temperature dropping seven and below like it has been last night and the night before, it couldn't withstand and it started to freeze, and as it started to thaw a little bit, the pressure grew and the pipes exploded."
Hansen said fortunately, a worker was quick to move rows of records and other products away from the water, which was pushing its way back into the store.
"She kind of saved the day, and we were able to salvage all of our product and pull it back here, out of the way," Hansen said.
It's unfortunate and scary, but I'm really glad that we kind of came out as unscathed as possible.
–Dustin Hansen, Graywhale owner
The owner said due to damage caused by the broken pipes, the location would likely be closed until later in the week, or possibly next week at the latest.
"We're lucky and fortunate that we have a place to go and this is the worst thing that happens to us," Hansen said. "It's unfortunate and scary, but I'm really glad that we kind of came out as unscathed as possible — you know, lose a couple days of business, but we'll be OK."
Tuesday was marked by frozen and broken pipe issues from Taylorsville to Salt Lake City to the Cache Valley amid single-digit or lower low temperatures and wind chills that dipped well into the negative range.
Salt Lake City public works officials said that city alone received more than 130 calls about water "freeze-up" issues.
