I said brrr, it’s cold in here. In the past week, extreme cold caused both the Brookside and the downtown water mainlines to burst.
Want to keep that bad luck far away from your home? Then it’s time to weatherize.
Protect your pipes
According to the Board of Public Utilities, you can keep your pipes pristine by:
- Insulating them — especially the ones in your crawl space and attic
- Preventing your outside taps from icing over with anti-freeze covers
- Wrapping your pipes in heat tape
- Sealing any leaks
- Plumbers at Kansas City’s A.B. May recommend letting those faucets drip, drip, drip
- Opening cabinet doors so that hot air from your furnace warms your pipes
Hold in heat
A part of protecting your home is protecting your wallet. If you want to keep those energy bills as low as possible during these icy times, try these tips:
- Pull out your thickest curtains and rugs. Need a refresh? Check out local biz KC Style Haus, which houses dozens of local makers.
- Seal all your windows so no cold-air leaks in.
- Keep doors closed to any rooms not being used.
Safety first
During these cold times, cranking up cozy fireplaces and switching on space heaters is a no-brainer — but be careful. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires. Kansas City firefighters have responded to at least 26 fires in the last 16 days.
To make sure your home doesn’t become too warm, get your chimney inspected regularly. And only use space heaters with automatic shutoffs, plugging them into the wall outlet directly.