(File Photo of AAA East Central logo)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) AAA is reminding Pennsylvanians to get your home ready for the cold temperatures coming up in Western Pennsylvania. According to a release from AAA, meeting with an insurance agent to review policies is crucial for liability purposes, even though most damages during winter are covered by insurance for homes.
According to AAA, here are some tips to protect and prepare your house from cold weather:
- Remove hoses from exterior faucets.
- Repair or replace weather stripping around windows and doors, vents and fans, plumbing, air conditioners and electrical and gas lines.
- Use caulk or insulation to seal all cracks, holes and other openings on exterior walls.
- Let faucets drip a little bit to prevent freezing pipes.
- Well-insulated basements and crawl spaces will help protect pipes. Close foundation vents and windows to basements. Wrap vulnerable pipes with pipe insulation.
- Know where water shutoff valves are located so water can be turned off in case of an emergency.
- Air inside the walls, where pipes are, can be much colder than air in the room, so set the thermostat at a reasonable temperature, even if no one is home.
- Keep bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors open to let warm air circulate around the pipes.
- Close wood burning fireplace flue dampers when not in use. Follow all manufacturer instructions for gas fireplaces including those with pilot lights, which may require the flue to be always partially open.
- Trim threatening trees.
- Shut off water and drain pipes.
- Clean gutters.
