How To Protect Your Home From Ohio’s Winter Power Outages
Ohio winters bring falling snow, freezing temperatures, and icy roads. But nothing throws a wrench in your cozy winter plans like a power outage. When the electricity goes out, it can be a serious safety issue, especially if the outage lasts for hours or even days. That’s why it’s crucial to prepare your Cleveland, Akron, or Brunswick home to weather the storm. Here’s how to protect your home and your family when Ohio winter power outages strike.
Essential Preparations for Winter Power Outages
The best time to prepare for winter power outages is now. Waiting until the weather gets bad can leave you scrambling. Plus, power outage supplies will likely be harder to find once a storm is incoming.
Remember, most heating systems won’t work during a power outage. Electrical systems obviously can’t run without electricity, but even your gas-powered furnace will likely shut off. This is because most modern furnaces have electronic ignition switches, fan motors, and thermostats, meaning they, too, need electricity to operate.
Here’s the bottom line: Unless you’ve prepared ahead of time, you could be stuck without heat when you need it most. Make sure your home is ready with these winter power outage tips for Ohio residents.
Insulate Your Home To Retain Heat
Proper insulation isn’t just for energy efficiency — it’s your first line of defense during a power outage. Proper home insulation for winter keeps the house warmer for longer by reducing heat loss.
Start with the attic. Heat rises, and if your attic isn’t properly insulated, all that warmth will escape through the roof. Insulating your walls and floors also keeps the cold at bay. Don’t forget small details like insulating the windows for winter and sealing gaps around plumbing and electrical penetrations. With these efforts, you’ll be better prepared for emergencies, and your heating bills will thank you, too.
Consider Backup Power for Outages
Wood-burning fireplaces and stoves are popular alternative heating methods during power outages, but they require proper ventilation and regular cleaning to operate safely. If you go this route, make sure your chimney or stove is in good working order before winter hits.
A more reliable solution is to install a whole-house generator. This backup power source keeps your furnace, appliances, and essential electronics running, even during extended outages. Whole-house generators run on natural gas, propane, or diesel and automatically kick on when the power goes out. They’re a game-changer for winter emergency preparedness in Ohio.
Protect Your Pipes From Freezing
Few things are worse than finding water in your basement because a pipe froze and burst. Pipes are most likely to freeze when temperatures drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, especially if they’re in unheated areas like the basement, garage, crawl space, or along exterior walls. Taking steps to prevent frozen pipes in winter can save you from a costly disaster.
Begin by insulating your pipes. Foam pipe insulation is affordable and easy to install. For especially cold areas, consider wrapping pipes with heat tape first, which provides a little extra warmth when the power is on.
Aside from insulating your pipes, let your faucets drip during frigid weather. Moving water is less likely to freeze, so keeping a slow trickle going helps prevent a disaster. Also, open cabinet doors under your kitchen and bathroom sinks to circulate warm air around the pipes.
Depend On Heart of Ohio To Protect Your Home This Winter
The experienced team at Heart of Ohio understands how challenging Ohio winters can be. We’re here to help with your power outage protection and recovery efforts, drawing on over 100 years of combined experience to ensure quality workmanship and your complete satisfaction. We proudly serve Cleveland, Akron, Brunswick, and surrounding areas with reliable HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services to meet your needs.
Contact us today for a free in-home service estimate, and let us help you prepare for whatever winter has in store.
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