Experts say to prepare home as below-freezing temps approach
JACKSON, Tenn. — As temperatures drop below the freezing mark Friday night, there are a few things to do around your home to prepare. Experts say the first things to do to prep the outside of your home are to drain the water hose and clean the gutters. “That keeps frozen precip from sticking to it and it keeps enough of the temperature away from it to keep it from freezing,” said Ron Snider from R&J Feed. Covering the faucets will help keep the pipes from freezing into your home. Experts said the time to winterize your home is now. That way when the temperatures fall consistently below freezing you are already prepared. “Run your hand around your windows. If you feel air or hear a whistling noise, then you need to go in and do the extra work to seal those,” Snider said. Keeping the warm air in and the cold air out is a way to keep your utility bills down along with monitoring the temperature set inside the house. “Try to keep it as cool as you can,” said Bruce Dorris, manager of commercial relations for Jackson Energy Authority. “JEA recommends 68 degrees in the winter for everyone. It’s going to add about 5 percent to your utility bills.”
If you’re headed out for the holidays, don’t completely shut off the heat. Dorris said to just turn it down. “We recommend 10 degrees set back if you got gas, 8 degrees if you got electric.” The experts say this is the best time to get ready for winter while daytime temperatures are still warm.
