ROB ROBIN'S COLD WEATHER TIPS

BEFORE FREEZING WEATHER

• Wrap all exposed pipes located outside or in unheated areas of the home
• Remove garden hoses from outside faucets.  Insulate outside faucets with Styrofoam covers, rags or paper.
• Know where your property owner's cut-off valve is located and how to use it.  Apply oil or WD-40 to the cut-off valve before operating to prevent the valve from breaking.  It is usually located adjacent to the water meter box under a metal lid.
• If you are not going to be at home for several days cut water off at the property owner's cut-off valve and drain all outside water faucets leave outside faucets open.

IN SUB-FREEZING WEATHER

• Drip outside faucets 24 hours a day (5 drops per minute).  This is not necessary unless temperatures are expected to be 28 degrees or below for at least 4 hours.  Be sure to turn off the faucets after the threat of freezing weather.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks adjacent to outside walls.
• In unheated garages, shut off water to washing machines.  Water softeners should be drained and protected from freezing temperatures.
• In sustained sub-freezing weather, let water drip slowly from inside faucets.
• Take extra precautions to protect pipes that have frozen in the past.

GENERAL COLD WEATHER TIPS

• NEVER use a stove or oven to heat your home.
• NEVER leave alternative heaters or fireplaces unattended.  Be sure to turn off space heater or extinguish the fireplace before going to bed or leaving home.
• Keep all flammable materials and potential fuel sources including newspapers, matches, bedding, clothing, carpets and rugs at least three feet from heat sources such as space heaters, fireplaces and stoves.
• Do not put space heaters on rugs or carpets, near bedding or drapes, and keep children and pets away.
• When purchasing a space heater look for a model that shuts off automatically if the heater falls over,  This can be a live and home saver!
• Keep the fire in the fireplace by using a glass or metal screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
• Be sure to have wood stoves, fireplaces, chimneys and furnaces professionally inspected once a year.

PERSONAL COLD PROTECTION

• Dress in layers of loose clothes.  Wear cotton or wool in the layers closest to the skin.  A loose fit allows for the collection of warm air near the body.  The top layer should be waterproof.
• Cover your hands, feet, face and head.  These areas are the most vulnerable, make sure they are covered properly.  You can lose 40 percent of body heat through the head so a hat is critical.
• Stay dry, change immediately or dry off as soon as possible if clothes get wet.
• Keep moving if you have to be out in the cold, this will keep blood circulating to all parts of the body.
• If you have to be in the cold, make sure to take breaks in warm areas, especially if you start to feel numbness in any part of your body.  Drink something warm, but NOT anything containing alcohol or caffeine, both promote dehydration and increase the risk of hypothermia.

To better understand the dynamics causing this cold weather out break read this months Rob Robin's Commentary.