Every winter season, the pipes in your home are at risk of damage from freezing conditions. Low temperatures can cause your pipes to freeze, and in some cases burst. Encompass Insurance offers the following tips to safeguard your home before, during and after a pipe freezes.
Many winter-related disasters can be prevented if you take a few simple steps to protect your home from freezing temperatures, snow and wind. With the weather still mild, autumn is the perfect time to winter-proof your home, says the Insurance Information Institute.
“According to the Insurance Information Institute, more than 10 percent of all catastrophic losses are the result of winter storms,” says Allan Robinson, assistant vice president of claims for Encompass Insurance. He urges homeowners to prepare for winter by using the following tips from the institute:
“If you are going to be away for an extended period, take special care,” Robinson says. “Turn the water off and/or have the water system drained by a professional to keep pipes from freezing or bursting.” He recommends that you also hire someone to check your home on a regular basis. “If there’s a problem, it can be fixed quickly – lessening any damage.”
With recent temperatures into the single digits and snow bringing our daily routine to a standstill here in Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia, it’s not only unwise but unsafe to be unprepared for weather problems this winter. Be a smart driver -- brush up on these common sense rules for safe winter driving.
One more essential: Keep a Winter Driving Kit in your vehicle and stock it with a bag of sand, salt or kitty litter, ice scraper, paper towels, shovel, snow brush, warning flares, window-washing fluid, a flash light, booster cables, a blanket, gloves and a cellular phone. You’ll have the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re prepared for an emergency.
The key to safe winter driving is to plan ahead, know your vehicle and adapt to the weather and road conditions.