A power outage any time of the year is inconvenient, but the hardships they pose in the winter can be severe. Having all you need to get through the outage with plenty of supplies will reduce the hardships.
Always have:
- Plenty of shelf-ready food available. Whether it’s from cans or dried, having something to eat that doesn’t need a lot of heating keeps your energy up. Canned fruit, beans, energy bars, crackers, and peanut butter offer calories along with nutrition.
- Drinking water. It’s important to have clean drinking water on hand in the event that the municipal supply fails. For wintertime, allocate two gallons for every four people daily.
If your refrigerator or freezer isn’t full, you can fill containers with water and store them inside for emergencies. A full refrigerator retains cold temperatures longer and you can use the water for sanitation.
- Extra blankets or sleeping bags. Chances are, your heating system won’t work and you’ll use the extra bedding to stay warm.
- Flashlights. Keep one in each bedroom and by the front or back door. Have extra batteries on hand.
Make sure that:
- You know how to open an automatic garage door. You may need to leave your home in case the power outage is prolonged.
- Your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are working, especially if you use a fireplace or candles for warmth. Watch pets around any heat source involving combustible materials.
- Family members know where the circuit breaker for the heating system is and how to turn it off. As utility workers restore the lines, power often surges. As it does, it can harm electronic parts inside the heating system. Once the power is stable, turn the breaker back on.
- Everyone knows not to bring in a barbecue or use a gas stove to generate heat. Doing so will pump excessive CO into the air.
Enduring a power outage in the winter may not be comfortable but the preparations you make beforehand increase your safety. To learn more, contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning, providing HVAC services for Lorain-area homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about power outages and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area