A severe winter storm is headed for West Texas and there are some things you can do to help brace for the possible issues that such storms can cause. In past winter storms, the problems our customers have suffered range from very low temperatures and their heaters being unable to keep up to keep the house comfortable, to the frozen rain breaking the power lines and losing electricity.
Practical Steps
There are some simple things you can do to stay warm that are always great to remember:
1. Safety First: Sometimes people are so miserable they may not think about the safety of a possible solution. Important: Always think about possible hazards before you try creative heat sources.
2. During cold weather the simplest solutions is to double layer your clothing. Choose heavy sweatshirt or sweater materials and even double layer them if your home feels drafty. As much as we might dislike wearing a winter coat (even indoors), they are a great common sense option to help keep your body temperature regulated.
3. Wear socks, shoes, toboggans, and if needed gloves. The majority of all body heat is lost from the head, hands and feet. If you have them, hand warmers are also an option to help hands and fingers stay warm. They even come in one time use and rechargeable handwarmers.
4. Stay inside whenever possible. Try not to open outside doors. Every time an outside door is opened, it lets the heat in the home into the outside air (and the cold in).
5. Before it the temperatures drop, consider heating your home to a higher temperature than you would normally keep it.
6. Block all drafts that are coming in under your outside doors. Roll up blankets or towels and lay them on the floor of your outside doors. This keeps warm air from escaping and the outside air from coming in.
7. Use curtains and blinds to insulate windows. Unless the sun is shining directly into a window to warm a room, keep the blinds and curtains closed to help retain heat and to keep the cold outside air seeping in through the glass windows.
8. Make sure you have wood or logs to use if you have a fireplace.
9. In sever instances create a designated heat room. This is a room where everyone in the home can be to stay warm. It is amazing how much heat our bodies put off and if several people are in a room, they will help maintain a warmer temperature in that room. Stock the room with lots of blankets and pillows. Before you close the curtains and blinds, check for any drafts that the windows may have. Use rolled up blankets on the bottom of the window to help keep the heat in and the cold out. If the room has doors that can separate it from the rest of the house, check the doorways for drafts and use the same technique for the drafts under the doors.
10. Never us heat sources that can cause the creation of dangerous gasses. Never burn charcoal or use a home grill to heat an interior space. Use only approved indoor space heaters and the like. The danger from using the wrong heat source or burning materials should never be underestimated.
11. Make sure you have enough food and water in the house for a few days in case things are very severe.
12. Bring your pets in or make sure they have a warm place that shelters them from the cold storm. Check their water frequently to make sure it has not frozen.
Great Strategies Plus We're Here to Help
Employing some common sense and practical tactics can help you and your family weather winter storms. If you have questions or need urgent assistance with winter weather-related heating or plumbing issues, please contact us!