Almost everything we do in our homes requires electricity, including cooking, communicating, entertaining, and heating. A power outage can be inconvenient, but it can also lead to expensive repairs and be dangerous to you and your family. By learning the ways to prepare for a blackout in the winter beforehand, you can provide comfort and safety while waiting for the lights to come back on.
Invest in a Generator
If your area experiences frequent blackouts, it might be a wise idea to invest in a generator so that you can provide your home with some necessities. While it won’t be able to restore all the electrical functions of your home, a generator interlock system will give you the ability to keep food in the fridge cold and turn on some lights. But be sure that you know how to operate one safely to avoid inhaling carbon monoxide.
Beware of Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide can cause illness and death for people during power outages. If your power is out for a few days, it can be tempting to use generators or grills inside to cook food or heat your home, but you can cause serious harm if you do. Even warming up or charging your phone in your car as it runs in the garage can be fatal. Keep grills and generators outside, and always ensure that your carbon monoxide detector is working.
Fill the Bathtub
After the power goes down, there’s always the possibility that your water supply might be the next thing to go. Filling a bathtub, sinks, and buckets with water can give you a potable supply for drinking, washing, and flushing the toilet. Don’t forget that your water heater also has gallons of water you can access.
Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing
As the heat in your home plummets, you can avoid having frozen and burst pipes by draining the water from the plumbing system. You must turn off the main water supply and open the lowest valve in the house, such as an outdoor hose bib or the water heater drain valve. Then, open the other facets to allow air into the system to make the pipes drain, and plunge drains to clear water from there. Finally, you’ll need to plug the drains to keep sewer gases from rising into your space.
Understanding the ways to prepare for a blackout in the winter can help you avoid costly repairs to your home and keep your family safe from other dangers.
