As winter storms and low, freezing temperatures batter our region, homeowners and businessowners should prepare themselves for these winter woes:
· Frozen pipes
· Fires
· Power outage
· Slip and falls of others’ on their premises
Frederick Mutual has created a list of tips on prevention for each hazard to help you avoid damages and costly experiences that can arise from improper preparation.
Frozen Pipes
Identifying a Problem
If a faucet is turned on, but no water flows, this can be a sign of frozen pipes!
If a faucet is off, but there exists the sound of running water, this can be a sign of a plumbing leak!
Important Tips
Residents occupying a home or employees in a business must know where the main waterline shut-off is located. Common locations include: inside a garage, basement, laundry room, utility room, or underground in a front or back yard.
Keep the phone number of a licensed plumbing contractor and your local utility company in a visible and accessible location within the home or business.
Prevention – Interior & Exterior
Run a trickle or slow drip of warm water at night from a faucet on an exterior wall.
Drain pipes in seasonal, vacant, or infrequently visited residential or commercial properties.
Close crawl space vents and place insulation over the openings.
Keep garage doors closed to maintain maximum heat (especially when a laundry or bathroom is adjacent).
Open bathroom vanity doors to allow more heat inside, if pipes run along an outside exterior wall.
Leave the heat on, even when the home or business is unoccupied. Set temperatures no lower than 60 degrees Fahrenheit on all thermostats across multiple heat zones.
Caulk gaps around doors and windows or repair weather stripping.
Check the attic, walls, electrical outlets, switch-plates and basement areas for adequate insulation.
Disconnect and store all garden hoses.
Turn off and drain external faucets and sprinkler systems. You may need to call your sprinkler company to blow out any leftover water in the underground lines.
What To Do If Pipes Freeze or Burst
If pipes are frozen, leave the faucets on and immediately call a plumber.
If pipes have burst, turn off water at main valve shut-off.
Turn off electrical appliances near any standing water.
NEVER attempt to heat a frozen pipe with an open flame of any kind!
It’s possible to warm a smaller, frozen pipe with a blow dryer by using a low, warm setting close to the faucet and very slowly working your way out to the most frozen section.
Fire Prevention
Identifying a Problem
If you smell or see smoke, this may signal the start of a fire or one igniting soon!
Important Tips
Make sure your house number or business unit is easily readable from the street for Fire & Rescue staff.
Create a fire escape plan with your family and coworkers. This drill should be practiced once a year.
Test smoke/carbon monoxide detectors once a year for battery life and proper operation.
The List of Nevers
Never leave a fire in a fireplace or in an outside fire pit unattended!
Never leave a burning candle or burner on a stove unattended!
Never smoke in bed!
Never pour water on a grease fire in the kitchen!
Never leave a space or kerosene heater on in an unoccupied home or business!
Never store flammable liquids near a heat source!
Never allow children to play with matches or lighters!
Prevention – Interior & Exterior
Put out cigarette butts completely before dumping into a trash can or flicking in a grassy area.
Do not smoke cigarettes in a home or business where an individual is using medical oxygen.
Leave at least 3-5 feet of area around a space heater away from curtains, plastics or other flammables.
Maintain & clean furnaces, fireplaces and chimneys by hiring qualified and insured contractors.
Check fireplace flue for a tight seal when closed.
Keep flammable liquids sealed and stored properly in areas like garages or storage sheds.
Fix or replace exposed electrical wiring, loose outlet plugs, or frayed extension cords.
Install dual smoke/carbon monoxide alarms on all floors of your home or business.
What To Do If Your Home or Business Has A Fire
Evacuate immediately to an area which is at least a football field length away.
Call 911!
If clothing is on fire – STOP, DROP & ROLL.
If a fire starts in a cooking pan, place a lid over the fire and turn off the burner.
Power Outages
Identifying a Problem
If you are unable to turn on the lights, your appliances have gone out, and the circuit breaker does not work to restore the power you may have a power outage.
Important Tips
Keep flashlights, radios and other necessary equipment.
Keep your phone at a high battery charge so that you are able to call emergency help.
Get a portable generator.
Unplug all appliances.
Winterize your home. Weather-stripping around doors and entryways can prevent cold weather from seeping. Insulate your pipes per the tips mentioned above. In colder areas it is recommend to add insulation to the attic and walls and to replace your front door with an energy efficient door.
How to Stay Safe During a Winter Outage
Notify your locality utility provider of the outage.
Keep yourself warm with layers of clothes. Start with thermal layers and preferably wool socks then overtop a looser knit or water repellant layer, then finally insulated pants and a jacket over top. Remember to also wear a hat, gloves, and boots as a lot of heat escapes from your extremities.
Condense your living space. Try to isolate bodies in your home to a small area, especially if that area of your home has a fireplace. The heat will be able to be retained better in a condensed space.
Cover windows and keep the blinds closed. Windows can be a huge loss of warm air so blocking heat from exiting with heavy drapes or blankets could save a lot of heat.
Keep doors to the outside closed as well as the door to your basement (if you have one) as warmer air can escape to the cool basement.
Slips and Falls
Identifying a Problem
If winter temperatures bottom out and precipitation or water is present, ice, especially black ice, is at risk of forming. Proceed with caution when walking outside and when entering homes or businesses and execute the following tips to prevent costly slips and falls from occurring.
Prevention – Interior & Exterior
Make sure your home or business has installed handrails on stairways and ramps and that they are securely fastened.
Turn off your lawn sprinkler system because if the pipes freeze and create leaks it can create icy patches.
Make sure there is adequate lighting around the premises to see walkways, parking areas, and stairways.
Inspect your gutters and downspouts to make sure they do not drain onto walkways or into parking areas where the water can freeze on the path.
Use nonslip surfaces, such as carpet, on stairs.
Have a plan for removal of snow and ice on sidewalks, stairs, and parking areas.
In entry ways quickly clean up any spills and water that may enter the premises so that visitors will not slip and fall. Post and signs that areas are slippery and are being cleaned.
What to do if someone slips at your home or business
Keep a record of the incident, including who was involved, dates, and circumstances.
If the injury is serious bring the person to the ER or to a walk-in medical clinic or call an ambulance if there is a head or neck injury.
Keep the area the slip occurred blocked off until the problem is resolved.