by Robert M. Traxler
The polar vortex is on the way, and it will be dangerously cold.
As I spent years in Alaska, to include the Arctic where cold is a life-or-death matter, let me pass on a few small items we can do to help get through the cold.
Frozen pipes can be a very costly item, so you may wish to open up the cupboards containing the pipes under sinks. Conversely you may want to close the cupboards not containing pipes, also closets not containing water or drainpipes. Every square foot not being heated will save you money and not overtax your furnace.
As temperatures drop below the zero mark, fashion be damned, warmth is what’s important. It may be difficult to convince the young very concerned with fashion and image to bundle up, but try. Those of us who are seasoned citizens need to be especially concerned with the cold and wind, limiting our exposure to the cold.
Along with decreasing the square footage of our homes that need to be heated, closing blinds and curtains will help a good bit. It is surprising how much it helps. Painter’s tape sealing any small cracks in doors and windows will act as a seal and helps as well. Using painter’s tape is best because it will come off without hurting paint or leaving residue behind, but any tape helps.
A battery will lose power rapidly in the very cold; running your vehicle every few hours, especially one with an older battery, will help keep it charged. Please open the garage door to prevent carbon monoxide buildup. Now may be a good time to change batteries in door openers and any remotes, before the cold strikes us.
To quote our President, “This is no joke.” The cold can and does kill and “Murphy’s law” will apply; anything that can go wrong will go wrong, in the frigid weather to come.
Please look to your pets and be careful, especially the outside pets. Keeping them out of the wind, cold and keeping them dry is disproportionately important as the temperature drops below zero.
The very young and we old farts need to be especially cautious, and folks with chronic medical conditions are especially vulnerable. Checking on friends and neighbors is a kind and necessary act; heating systems that work fine at 20 degrees may fail at -4 and the HVAC companies will be overtaxed as we reach dangerous cold levels.
When outside in very cold weather, the two man or person rule applies. On your companion, look for white spots on skin and shivering; white spots are frostnip and the first step to frostbite, while shivering is the first sign of hypothermia and immediate warming is called for.
Be very careful with electric heaters and fireplaces. I try not to use either unless someone is home and keeping an eye on them. Having a fire extinguisher nearby is always a good idea.
The bad news is that the cold is coming. The good news is it will be over in a few days and an extra bit of caution will help us get through it safely. Prevention is the watchword here, a few minutes to cold proof our homes just may save us from a dangerous and very costly situation. My opinion.
