Freezing Weather Alert! Is Your Home Prepared?
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I hope you’re still stocked up on Thanksgiving leftovers because freezing weather is on the way!
And no, in case you were wondering, my weather-predicting 7-year-old has not called this one yet, but when things like winter weather and potential school closures are on the line, there’s always a bit of wishful thinking coloring her predictions…
Anyhow, the actual meteorologists are saying it’s going to dip below freezing over the next few days, and you know what that means in North Texas — PANIC! But seriously, even though people will go stock up like there’s a full-on Little-House-on-the-Prairie-style blizzard happening, all you need to do is take a few precautionary measures at home. And, of course, we’re here to help.
1. Get Out Your Checklist
Y’all saved this one from last time, didn’t you? Well, just in case, here it is again. This handy list tells you just what to do both inside and outside your house during a freeze. It covers the obvious, such as keeping your faucet dripping, to the not-so-obvious, like how to access your emergency water shut-off valve.
2. Protect Your Pool
You won’t have to worry so much about your actual pool freezing with the mild weather we’ve had leading up to this cold snap, but your pool equipment is another story.
Make sure you turn your pool pump on and leave it running so the water is moving through the system. If your pipes aren’t insulated, it’s a good idea to slap some insulation on them, too.
3. Turn Off Your Sprinkler System
If ice doesn’t happen to form during the freezing weather, forgetting to turn off your sprinkler system is a great way to guarantee some. With run-off and mis-aimed heads, you’ll end up with ice-coated sidewalks, driveways, and walkways for no good reason.
Many smart systems have a temperature-controlled shut-off that will do this for you, but make sure if you happen to have your sprinkler set to run automatically. Also, it’s November. If you still have your sprinklers running automatically, you need to shut them off for the season anyway.
4. Be Fireplace-Ready
Make sure your fireplace is ready to use before you light it up. If, for example, you have no chimney (see above), your fireplace is not ready for use. This particular fireplace is what is known as “decorative,” but some smart homeowner installed gas logs in it. For everyone else, make sure the flue is clear and get all the excess ash and debris out of there.
In a freeze, the concern is always that the power will go out, and the fireplace becomes pretty central when that happens. Stock up on some wood just in case, if you have a wood-burning fireplace. And the answer to the question you’re about to ask is NO, you cannot burn wood in your gas-burning fireplace.
Well, I just asked the 7-year-old what her prediction is for whether we’ll see ice over the next few days (because I just couldn’t help myself), and she gives it a 59% chance. So there you have it. Good luck, and stay warm!
