HOBART, Wis. (NBC 26) — As colder weather heads to Northeast Wisconsin, longtime plumber Randy Veeser says prepping your home can be simple.
"[You can] push snow up against the house too," he said. "Snow acts as an insulator, so you could shovel like two feet up."
With below-zero temps projected in the near future, Veeser says you should notify the city if you plan to leave town. That way, workers can shut off your water.
"My neighbor several years back, he left on vacation and his furnace stopped, waterline froze, and water was coming out his front door," Veeser with Ace Sewer & Water said.
And if the weather leaves your pipes frozen…
"Turn your furnace up a little more and maybe a little extra more heat in that area where your faucet is frozen," Veeser said.
But sometimes heating efforts can lead to disaster.
"Some of the biggest things that can help keep individuals safe during the winter months is going to be making sure that they have a working smoke detector and working carbon monoxide detector in their home," Village of Hobart Fire Captain Robert Linz said.
Linz says over half of all home heating fires occur in December, January and February.
"It is never safe to use cooking appliances for heating of a home," he said.
While you fight to stay warm, Linz says make sure your chimney is inspected and place flammable items in a safe spot.
"Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from any source, like a fireplace, a wood stove, a radiator or a space heater," he said.
According to Linz, fire ashes should be stored at least ten feet away from a building or structure.
And winter months can bring power outages. Linz advises Northeast Wisconsinites to keep their power generators a safe distance from doors and windows. That's because it can cause carbon monoxide buildup.
