Protecting your Home and Vehicle in Cold Weather

Protecting your Home and Vehicle in Cold Weather

As we battle these frigid temperatures we need to remember how the cold affects our Home and Vehicles. Here are a few tips to help with Protecting your Home and Vehicle in Cold Weather.

Protecting Your Home in Cold Weather:

When temperatures drop below 20 degrees, water pipes tend to freeze and break. But a few simple steps can help keep that from happening.
Frozen pipes affect 50 million homeowners each year. Homes that have little to no insulation, like older homes, have the most risk. A one-eighth inch crack in a pipe can spew out more than 250 gallons of water a day. That can destroy your floors, soak your furniture, and ruin personal belongings.

Cleaning up that mess during this bitter cold, definitely wouldn’t be fun for anyone. So you can avoid that by insulating pipes that run along outside walls, floors, and ceilings. Homeowners should also unplug outside garden hoses, and seal foundation cracks that let bitter cold air freeze pipes in small spaces. The most important thing you should do if you notice a leak is to turn off your home’s main water supply.

It’s also a good idea to make sure you know how to turn off your main water supply now, so you can find the switch fast, during an emergency. After that, you should call your insurance agent and a plumber to figure out the next step.

 Protecting Your Vehicle in Cold Weather:

Just like your home, your car or truck is also sensitive to temperatures below 20 degrees. The best thing you can do is have all the necessary items ready in case of an emergency.

First, you should check your lights, windshield wipers, fluids, and most importantly, your battery. Older batteries are at a greater risk to leave you stranded. So keeping those parts up to date can help save you from the side of the road.

Second, you should protect your paint job from road salt build up and damage, by washing and waxing your car on a regular basis.

Finally, prepare a road survival kit. It should include the following:

• jumper cables
• spare tires
• road flares
• flashlight
• first aid kit
• water
• blanket

For more information on Home and Auto Insurance Contact Penny Hanley & Howley Insurance

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