Preparing Your Louisiana Home for Freezing Temperatures
When weather reaches sustained freezing temperatures, it is important to adequately prepare your home to avoid potential damage. Since these temperatures occur seldom in a given Louisiana year, it is easy to forget everything that needs to be taken care of. Below are a few items that you should note:
- Wrap all exposed pipes
- Run a small trickle of hot and cold water at night
- Remove/drain your hoses and sprinklers and store away (sometimes if water still resides in the hose, the entire hose will freeze up)
- Be sure to keep your home heated, even if you are out of town
- Open cabinets with piping to let heat and air circulate to them
- Know where your main water shut-off valve is
- Drain and cover your swimming pool
- Cover your water Well if you have one
- Bring your pets inside your home
- Help your energy costs by reversing your ceiling fans to swing clockwise to circulate warm air through the room
- Check your insulation and your furnace filter
- Check the batteries on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and keep fire extinguishers handy
Keep in mind that more house fires occur in the fall and winter than any other time of year as homeowners increase the usage of their heaters. As mentioned, it is imperative that your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working correctly. Avoid overloading electrical circuits and be aware of the candles you light.
Additionally, be careful where you store firewood as it may attract unwanted pests around your house.
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