Winter Home Heating Safety Tips

12/26/2022 (Permalink)

Keep your home safe this winter.

1. Be Aware of Flammable Materials 

Keep anything that burns easily at least three feet away from fireplaces, wood stoves, furnaces and space heaters. Fires often spread past its origin point because the heat source was too close to something flammable. Make sure nothing is close to your heat sources to prevent a fire from spreading.  

2. Service Your Heating System Annually

Hiring a professional to inspect and clean your heating system and chimneys can help ensure your safety. These checks should be done annually. You should also be active in checking the areas around the furnace and boiler.

3. Don’t Leave Space Heaters Unattended

25,000 house fires and more than 300 deaths are caused each year by space heaters. Never keep space heaters on when no one is around or while you are sleeping. Space heaters should be plugged directly into a wall, as extension cords or power strips can overheat and cause a fire. 

4. Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors Monthly 

According to a study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first month of the year is the worst for carbon monoxide poisoning. House fires are also common after the holidays. It’s extremely important to regularly check that all your detectors have working batteries. 

5. Fireplace Safety 

Keep a screen over your fireplace to stop sparks from flying out. Let fire ashes cool before putting them into any covered, metal container. Also, ashes should never be kept in plastic containers. Keep all containers of ashes a safe distance away from your home. 

How to Handle Frozen Pipes

12/26/2022 (Permalink)

Frozen pipes can lead to a disaster in your home.

At SERVPRO of Jefferson City, we often see an increase in water losses during the winter. A major culprit of these losses are frozen pipes. 

When the water inside the pipes freeze, its molecules expand, which causes a blockage of ice that prevents unfrozen water from passing through. When the frozen pipe begins to thaw, the pressure from the water can cause the pipe to burst. 

How Can I Tell My Pipes Are Frozen? 

One of the most common signs that you are dealing with frozen pipes is when you turn on your faucet and no water comes out (similarly, if you flush your toilet and it doesn’t refill). If this happens, you should check your water source to make sure it’s still turned on and that a leak isn’t occurring. 

Another tell-tale sign of frozen pipes is when your water line is coated in frost or is bulging.

If you know that your pipes are frozen, you can either choose to address the issue yourself or call in professionals. 

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes cause an estimated $400-$500 million in damage annually. To avoid adding to that total, there are several steps you can take.

When the weather gets cold, you should drain water from pipes that are likely to freeze, such as sprinkler and swimming pool water supply lines. Outside hoses should also be disconnected and drained, and indoor valves supplying these access points must be closed.

On frigid days, let your faucets drip cold water. Having the water drip out will make it harder for the water in the pipes to freeze. Your thermostat should also be kept around the same temperature at all times, and your house temperature should never fall below 55 degrees. Garage doors should also be kept shut to protect water lines. 

If you are worried about your pipes freezing, you can also place a 60-watt bulb in the areas you’re concerned with. Just make sure none of the materials near the bulb are combustible. 

What If My Pipes Are Already Frozen? 

If you realize your pipes have frozen, the first step is to keep your faucet open. This will help with thawing and allow for moving water to flow through the pipe. 

You can also apply heat to the specific area of the pipe that is frozen. You can do this by wrapping an electronic heating pad around the pipe or heating the area with a hair dryer. Using towels soaked in hot water can help, too. 

Keep applying heat until water flow returns to normal. After the pipe has been thawed, turn on other faucets around the house to make sure you don’t have any more frozen pipes. 

If the pipe is inside an exterior wall, you should immediately call a professional contractor. It is likely that a hole will need to be cut in the wall toward the inside of the house to allow the pipes to be exposed to warmer air. 

Frozen pipes can be a catastrophic problem for your home, but taking proactive measures can help you address the problem before it even starts.

Building Services provided by SERVPRO of JC!

3/27/2018 (Permalink)

When your home or business has been damaged by fire, water, or storm damage, the immediate concern should be temporary protective measures such as placing roof tarps to prevent additional damage and boarding up to secure the building and remove water and debris.  Keeping you, your family/ customers safe after an emergency is our number one priority. Helping you put the pieces back to preloss conditions, “like it never even happened” is what we are certified and trained to do.  A quick response and expert knowledge is imperative to accomplish a safe and successful mitigation, and here at SERVPRO, we have just what it takes to get the job done. The professionals at SERVPRO of Jefferson City can simplify the restoration process by handling both the initial damage mitigation and rebuilding the affected areas. Having one qualified company for the entire process can save time and keeps costs low.

Did you know ? Building and Reconstructive Services

4/3/2017 (Permalink)

Here Ayrika and Daniel are performing demo after extensive water damage to a local home.

When your home or business has been damaged by fire, water, or storm damage, the immediate concern should be temporary protective measures such as placing roof tarps to prevent additional damage, and boarding up to secure the building and remove water and debris.  Keeping you, your family/ customers safe after an emergency is our number one priority. Helping you put the pieces back to preloss conditions, “like it never even happened” is what we are certified and trained to do.  A quick response and expert knowledge is imperative to accomplish a safe and successful mitigation, and here at SERVPRO, we have just what it takes to get the job done. The professionals at SERVPRO of Jefferson City can simplify the restoration process by handling both the initial damage mitigation and rebuilding the affected areas. Having one qualified company for the entire process can save time and keeps costs low.