Prepare Your Home for Winter Freezes

With autumn chill already here and winter fast approaching, now is a great time to prepare your home for the inevitable freezing temperatures at night.  Use the checklist below to prepare your home for winter freezes and give you ideas for keeping warm, preventing fires, and saving money.

• Have your furnace inspected and serviced by a professional at least once a year.

• Have chimneys and vents cleaned and inspected.  After a summer of non-use there can be pine needles, leaves and even bird’s nests or other critters that have taken up residence and can block the flue. (In addition, built-up creosote is the leading cause of chimney fires.)

• Stock up on dry, seasoned wood for the fireplace or wood stove.

• Check the condition of your fireplace screen. Is it in good condition and secure? Faulty screens can allow embers to escape and start a fire.

• Get a covered metal container ready to dispose of cooled ashes.  (And keep it at least 10 feet from your home.)

• Review fireplace safety with your family, and have an escape route planned in case of smoke or fire. (Smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death in a house fire.)

• Make sure all portable space heaters have an automatic shut-off and are kept at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn (like bedding). 

• Never use a propane heater or barbeque grill to heat your home. These give off poisonous gasses that can be fatal.

• Test all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms! 

Follow these tips and your home will be ready for winter freezes and safe from fire hazards.  

If you’re concerned about protecting your belongings, give SAV-ON Insurance a call at 888-867-2866 to review your home insurance policy today.

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