Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 15, 1994 TAG: 9401150159
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Cody Lowe and Renee Shafer
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Water pipes in crawl spaces or unheated basements should be insulated to protect against freezing.
In extremely cold weather, leaving one faucet open with a slight flow of water should protect all the pipes from freezing. The cost of leaving the water running is minute compared to the cost of repairing frozen pipes and the resultant water damage.
Remember that exposure to wind causes pipes to freeze faster, so crawl space and basement vents should be blocked with insulating material to prevent drafts.\ Furnaces
Furnaces should be left at their normal thermostat settings. Turning them up will cause the furnace to run more frequently or constantly.
Furnaces generally are no more likely to fail during extremely cold weather than during more seasonal temperatures.
Looking for extra warmth? Here are safety tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Fire Protection Association:\ Space heaters
Leave at least 36 inches around space heaters.
Don't leave space heaters on overnight.
Never use a fuel that the unit was not designed for.
Never try to quicken a fire with gasoline or kerosene.
Don't overfill oil units; the fuel expands as it warms and can flood the burner.
Never refill a heater while it is burning.
When using a fuel-burning heater in the bedroom, open the window. Ventilation prevents suffocation that can be caused by a heater's consuming oxygen.\ Fireplaces
Don't use flammable liquid to start a fire.
Using excessive amounts of paper to build a roaring fire can ignite soot in the chimney.
Never burn charcoal in the fireplace. Burning charcoal gives off deadly amounts of carbon monoxide.
Never close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. Heat may build up and cause a flare-up.
Read the directions on your man-made log. Never break a man-made log to quicken the fire.\ Kitchen stoves
Never use a gas range or oven to heat your kitchen. Unvented fuel burning appliances are capable of producing deadly levels of carbon monoxide.
Tips from Morris Gill, automotive instructor, Botetourt Technical Center, on how to keep your car going through the cold:\ Coolant
Antifreeze works best in a mixture of 60 percent antifreeze, 40 percent water.
Testers are available at auto parts stores that will indicate the degree of protection of the coolant in your car. Or, Gill said, you could follow the advice a farmer gave him a couple of years ago: Put a small sample of coolant in a cup and place it in the freezer at home. If it freezes, better add some antifreeze.
Inadequate protection can lead to frozen radiators, which can cause engine overheating when water fails to circulate, or even a cracked block - which essentially ruins an engine.
Batteries
Check to see that battery terminals are clean and free of white powdery corrosion that can indicate a poor connection between battery and cables. Cold weather takes a toll on battery cranking power and a bad connection can keep critically needed juice from getting to the starter.
Clean corroded connectors.\ Check engine oil
Winter is a good time to change oil, which gets thicker with use and age. That, in turn, can cause additional strain on the electrical system and make starting harder.\ Car-door locks
Sometimes door locks freeze when moisture seeps in. Using a cigarette lighter or match to heat up the key before inserting may help free the lock. Critters
Bring in Fido and feed the birds. Don't forget they need water, too - preferably, the unfrozen kind. But don't try to put anything else in it. Somehow the word got around last winter that glycerine would keep the water from freezing and wouldn't hurt the birds.
Wrong!
by CNB