Power Out? What You Need to Be Concerned About at Home
It isn’t unusual during the winter months with snow, wind and freezing temperatures for homes and businesses to lose power at some point. Hopefully the loss of power is short lived, but depending on the severity of the damage this may go on for days. Days without power during the winter can be more than just an inconvenience, it can also put your home at risk.
If the weather reports indicate that widespread power outages may be likely, you can prepare your family and your home beforehand by doing the following:
- Charge cell phones.
- Have flashlights and extra batteries on hand.
- Stock up on bottled water and non-perishable food.
- Consider alternative heating sources for the home: gas fireplace, wood-burning stove
- If you have a generator, have gasoline on hand for fuel.
- Unplug electronic devices or invest in surge protectors for your plugged-in electronics.
You can help to prevent damage to your home from a power outage by insulating your pipes, particularly those that are on exterior walls. Caulking windows and doors can also go a long way to keeping the heat in during a power outage.
If you do experience a power outage during the winter, the biggest concern will be the dropping temperatures inside the home. This can lead to frozen pipes. You can minimize the risk of frozen pipes by turning on all of the faucets in the home, allowing them to slowly drip. Keeping the water circulating will reduce the risk of frozen pipes.
Many homeowners are anxious to add heat to the home through any means during a power outage. However, do so with caution. If you will be relying on a fireplace, be sure that the chimney is regularly cleaned to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Candles can present a big fire risk, particularly in homes with small children and pets. Space heaters can also be a good source of additional heat. Be sure to keep the area around the space heater clear, so as to prevent a fire hazard. When running a generator, be sure that it is kept outdoors and is a minimum of ten feet away from the home.
If your home does experience damage due to a power outage, the professional team at Soil-Away is available 24/7 to help. Our restoration specialists can quickly address the situation and ensure that the damage to your home is minimized.
