Reminder: Prep your home for cold weather

Frozen faucets can turn into a big problem if you don’t winterize your home.

With winter weather arriving, it’s a good time to double-check in and around your home to make sure the freezing temperatures don’t cause any damage to your property.

Here’s a few assorted tips to follow to keep your home safe when the cold sets in.

To safely run a space heater in your home (from Rural Mutual):

1. Avoid flammable objects. More than half (53%) of all home heating fire deaths resulted from fires that began when heating equipment was too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding. Abide by the 3-foot rule and avoid placing a space heater within 3 feet of any flammable object.
2. Never leave a heater unattended. Don’t leave a space heater unattended while it is turned on. Always shut it off and unplug it when you leave a room. If there are children in the room, use the 3-foot rule and do not leave them out of eyesight. In addition, do not sleep with a space heater on.
3. Set it up in a safe space. Always place a heater on a hard, flat, stable surface where it is unlikely to tip over. Place heaters out of high traffic areas where they are less of a tripping hazard. Some space heaters have a tip-over switch that automatically shuts the appliance off if it gets knocked over. Look for safety features like this when researching to buy.
4. Plug the heater directly into an outlet. Do not overload the outlet or use a power strip or extension cord that could easily overheat. Any added layer of electrical connection can increase your chances of overloading the circuit or can create additional resistance that allows heat to build up.

To prepare your outside faucet for freezing temperatures:

Wrap them up. Here’s how:

1. Unscrew any hoses and store them off the ground and out of the cold, if possible.
2. Wrap up your faucet in rags, old towels or old t-shirts. Wrap it up as snug as possible.
3. Cover your wrapped up faucet in plastic bags.
4. Tape the bags up securely to keep them from blowing off.

Here’s more tips, from the National Weather Service:

To keep interior pipes from freezing on an outside wall:

1. Let hot and cold water trickle or drip at night from a faucet.
2. Open cabinet doors to allow more heat to get to un-insulated pipes under a sink or near an outer wall.
3. Make sure heat is left on and set no lower than 55 degrees.
4. If you plan to be away, have someone check your house daily to make sure the heat is still on to prevent freezing, or drain and shut off the water system (except indoor sprinkler systems).

If your pipes freeze:

1. Make sure you and your family knows how to shut off the water, in case pipes burst.
2. Never try to thaw a pipe with an open flame or torch. Use a hair dryer instead.
3. Always be careful of the potential for electric shock in and around standing water.

How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, which claims about 1,000 lives each year in the U.S.:

1. Install a carbon monoxide detector.
2. Never run generators indoors.
3. Open a window slightly when using a kerosene heater and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Never use a gas oven to heat your home.
5. If your heat goes out, you can keep warm indoors by closing off rooms you do not need, dressing in layers of lightweight clothing, and wearing a cap.

How to safely run your wood-burning stoves, fireplaces and heaters:

1. Always keep a screen around an open flame.
2. Never use gasoline to start your fireplace.
3. Never burn charcoal indoors.
4. Do not close the damper when ashes are hot.
5. Use only safe sources of alternative heat such as a fireplace, small well-vented wood or coal stove, or portable space heaters. Always follow manufacturer’s instructions.

How to keep your pets safe:

1. Bring pets inside
2. Provide shelter and fresh water
3. Keep salt away from paws

How to prepare your car for the cold:

1. Check your battery
2. Check your fluids (coolant, wiper fluid and oil)
3. Check your tires
4. Keep jumper cables handy
5. Pack a blanket