Winter weather puts a strain on everything, especially your home. Our area has seen some hefty snow this month, and it will only continue throughout the rest of the season. Is your home ready to handle these harsh conditions? Keep reading for some trusted, true, and handy tips to make sure you AND your home are ready for the next snowstorm.

• Freeze a cup of water, put a penny on top, and put it in your freezer. If you lose power, you can measure how defrosted all your frozen goods are and judge whether they’re safe to keep, or you’re better off pitching them. 
• Clean your gutters! Ironically enough, ice dams can cause flooding rather than preventing them. Clearing away the debris from your gutters will help prevent meltwater from overflowing and causing damage inside your home.
• Protect your pipes. Nobody wants a burst pipe in the dead of winter so here are some small steps to reduce your risk.
  • Keep the garage door closed while shoveling your driveway.
  • Open all cabinets directly under sinks on cold nights to better circulate warm air and prevent freezing.
  • Detach garden hoses from your house.
• Invest in technology. Water pipe monitors can track temperature, pressure, and usage in real time and alert you to potential problems. These monitors aren’t cheap, but neither is repairing the water damage if your basement floods from burst pipes!
• Test your snowblowers and generators BEFORE the storm hits. A snowblower is no good when there’s a foot of snow in your driveway and you can’t get it to start! Same with a generator, you’ll be stuck in the dark and cold if you don’t plan ahead.  
• Heavy winds can also cause serious damage, downing power lines and cutting off electricity in your home. Whenever there is any type of severe weather warning, make sure your car’s gas tank is full, your generator is ready to go, and you have plenty of nonperishables and bottled water in your pantry. 
• If you have a fireplace, a generator, or a gas stove, double check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors. A good tip is to replace the batteries every daylight savings, so you know for a fact that your batteries are never more than a few months old! 

While all of these tips are helpful, our number one tip is to SCHEDULE YOUR HEATING SYSTEM MAINTENANCE. Annual heating maintenance is the most reliable way to ensure your home can withstand the cold temperatures and harsh storms that come along every winter in this region. 

Call Nebrasky Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc. NOW to get your heating system maintenanced BEFORE the next big snowstorm hits.