KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – With Storm Team 11 predicting highs in the mid to low 30s over the weekend, power and plumbing professionals say time is of the essence to prepare homes.
Bradley Arnold Construction Services owner Bradley Arnold said the first thing to do is prepare for the worst-case scenario: burst pipes.
“The biggest thing is you want to know how to shut the water off to your home,” Arnold told News Channel 11. “Make sure you can operate it in the event something happens because you don’t want to end up with a flood on top of a frozen, burst pipe.”
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Next, Arnold advises taking preventative measures outside the house.
“The fastest way to get a pipe to freeze and burst is to leave a hose connected to them,” said Arnold. “So disconnect all your hoses, some of your spigots will have a shut-off valve where you can shut the water off to that spigot.”
Inside, Arnold advised opening cabinets to let warm air circulate around valves, dripping sinks at freezing temperatures, improving insulation around windows and doors where possible, and being aware of potential shortcomings of the heating system.
“If your air filter is clogged up, it can cause the heat pump to have to run harder,” said Arnold. “It can short cycle, and it can cause it to put out less heat, essentially. “
On the electric front, Appalachian Power officials and local electricians agreed that ensuring that a heater runs efficiently is critical to preventing outages and keeping utility bills low.
“About a quarter of the way we heat our home escapes through those leaks and cracks in our windows and on the doors,” Appalachian Power spokesperson George Porter told News Channel 11. “If you can do anything, you can make sure the heat that’s coming into your home stays in your room. That will definitely help.”
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Tri Cities Electric Owner Bianca Marais said any insulation is better than nothing. Marais said measures like placing a towel under the door can help.
“I’ve seen newspapers put into little cracks around the windows,” said Marais. “There are kits you can buy at Home Depot and Lowe’s that you put plastic over your windows to keep that draft at bay.”
In the event your heater does blow a fuse, Marais said, modern heat pumps often have their own removable fuse, making it easy to repair.
“You can just take out that disconnect, put the new fuses in and you should be good to go,” Marais said.
With high wind expected throughout the day Friday, homeowners should check for trees that hang over or near their power lines.
“When it’s on your property, it’s your responsibility,” said Marais. “With the high winds that are coming this weekend, those tree limbs can knock your service out.”
If the grid is stretched too thin, customers may lose power as well. Porter advises preparing an emergency kit with flashlights just in case.
