Cold weather tips to protect your home

JACKSON, Tenn.–“One of the challenges is, in a water system, you don’t want pipes that are frozen and that burst. The best thing to protect those is to cover those, it’s helpful like the crawl space closing, that could be a very costly situation,” said Steve Bowers, JEA Communications and Media Relations Manager.

West Tennessee is facing very frigid temperatures. Bowers says there are some simple things to remember when preparing for cold temperatures.

“If your home is set at 68 degrees, which is what is recommended by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the winter, if outside is 68 and inside is 68 it does nothing. But if the outside is 18 then your home energy is gonna have to heat that home up to that level to keep you comfortable,” said Bowers.

Another thing to think about is your pipes.
Be sure to cover any exposed pipes outside with a styrofoam cover you can buy, or wrap them with other materials.

“It helps pick up whatever heat is coming from inside the house along that wall because they’re usually on an external wall,” said Bowers.

Experts say anytime you’re dealing with cold weather, it’s important to always drip your faucet because if you don’t your pipes could burst.

Don’t forget to disconnect and drain any water hoses from outside faucets. Water can cause those hoses to expand and break.
And if you have sinks on an outside wall, open up the cabinet doors to keep pipes warm.

“It just helps to open up the areas of your home so the heat within that home can spread,” said Bowers.

Bowers says one last step to remember, is to seal any cracks around doors and windows to keep your heat in, and the cold out.
Take these precautions to keep your home safe from the weather, and of course, stay warm.