Middletown Schools Mopping Up After Heating Issues From Record Cold Temps

Subzero temperatures overnight in Middletown caused heating pipes at the middle school to freeze, forcing all activities there to be canceled Saturday.

An alarm alerted Director of Facilities Richard Meier early this morning that the boiler at Keigwin Middle School had shut down, plunging temperatures in the building and freezing some pipes, said Superintendent of Schools Patricia Charles.

Facilities staff worked in the morning to thaw out the pipes and there was no permanent damage caused, she said.

In addition, the boiler, drawing in extremely cold air from outside at Macdonough Elementary School in the North End, experienced condensation problems related to the cold, Charles said. It was resolved by afternoon.

Middletown High School had a minor incicent but activities there took place as usual.

"There are custodians there wiping down light fixtures and anything else with condensation," Charles said. "There is not a lot of water."

All Prof. Gallitto Basketball league games, hosted by Middletown Parks and Recreation, scheduled for Jan. 4 were canceled. Most likely they will not be rescheduled, according to a representative. 

Charles said she doesn't anticipate that activities taking place Sunday at the schools will be canceled and classes should resume as normal Monday throughout the district.

Middletown, like the rest of Connecticut and the Northeast is experiencing record cold temperatures. At 8 a.m., the mercury read 1 degree and the Weather Channel is calling for a high Saturday of 25 degrees.

One of the leading causes of property damage during a cold snap is pipes that burst because they freeze.

• Preventing and Thawing a Burst Pipe
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