It looks like our first days of winter are going to come in like a lion! Below are important reminders for dropping temperatures and winter weather:
Inside the House
- Keep your house heated to a minimum of 65 degrees. The temperature inside the walls where the pipes are located is substantially colder than the walls themselves. A temperature lower than 65 degrees might not keep the inside walls from freezing.
- Check the location for the main water shutoff in your home. And refresh your memory on—or learn—how it works, in case you have to use it.
- Open hot and cold faucets enough to let them drip slowly. In severely frigid temperatures, keeping water moving within the pipes will help prevent freezing.
- Check that fireplaces, wood stoves and electric heaters are working properly. Make sure there are no combustible items near the heat sources and watch them closely, especially the first time in the season you use them. A carbon monoxide detector is a good idea as well.
- Keep your fireplace flue closed when you’re not using it.
Outside the House
- Keep sidewalks and entrances to your home free from snow and ice. You don’t want anyone delivering Christmas packages to slip and fall.
- Watch for ice dams near gutter downspouts. Ice dams can cause water to build up and seep into your house. Clear gutters of leaves and debris to allow runoff from melting snow and ice to flow freely.
- If not winterized, run your swimming pool pump at night when the temperatures are expected to go below freezing. This will keep the water flowing through the pipes.
- Keep your garage doors closed. This will prevent weather damage to whatever’s stored in there. Plus, if your garage is attached to your house, the home entrance door from the garage is probably not as well insulated as an exterior door so this will keep more heat in.
- Double check for dead, damaged or dangerous tree branches and have them removed. Even if they looked sound earlier in the year, trees can be affected by ice, snow or wind. When stressed, branches can fall and damage your house or car, or injure someone on or near your property.
In the Event of Problem
- Don’t wait for frozen pipes to burst. If your pipes are frozen, take measures to thaw them immediately, or call a plumber for assistance.
- If your pipes burst, first turn off the water. You know now where the main water shut off is, right? Cut off the flow, then attend to the mess and …
- Properly dry and repair any water damage. This will help prevent any potential problems with mold.
- Call your insurance professional as soon as possible. He or she will help you understand what’s covered by your policy.
*Information in this article is sourced from the Insurance Information Institute. This article is intended for general purposes only.*