BRATENAHL, Ohio — Over the past few days, we've told you how to protect your pipes from freezing, and how to keep the inside of your home warm while staying safe from fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
But just as important in this cold weather is protecting the outside of your home. As proof, ask Jordan Wulf, of Sal’s Heating and Cooling. He worked thirty hours straight starting Tuesday, getting calls for everything from people who lost heat or hot water to those with blocked pipes in their furnaces.
Some of those problems start outside of the home. So while it’s not a pleasant task during a polar plunge, you need to do a walk around and check the perimeter, or the frigid temperatures could be the least of your problems.
"You could get carbon monoxide in your house, and as we all know, you can't smell it, you can't tell that it's there, so you'll never know," Wulf explained.
That's the risk if the outside vents from your furnace or hot water tank are blocked with snow or ice. They can’t push out the exhaust. In the best case scenario, they'll shut down, and you won’t have any heat or hot water.
The outside vent from your dryer can also cause problems. The worst case scenario there is it won't work properly and could catch on fire.
Also, make sure to check your gas meter for ice or snow.
"That can cause the gas meter to freeze up and you'll be without heat and no hot water," Wulf told us. "Your stove may not work if you have a gas stove. So, that could be a big problem for you."
From the freeze…to the flood, which could happen if you don't keep your gutters clean. If you have water sitting in there, mixed with leaves, it could freeze up and just block the gutters completely. They could also crack, and with Ohio's weather switching back and forth between warm and cold, the water won’t have anywhere to drain.
Finally, shut off the inside water valves which lead to outside spickets to prevent the lines from freezing and breaking.
"It only takes a couple minutes to walk around the house," Wulf said. "You might as well, because it'll save you time and it'll save you money."
Ideally, all of this should be done before winter hits, but doing it now could still save you a big headache.