Another cold week in beautiful Ohio and another chiller forecasted for next week. I thought it might be a good time to offer the following advice.
Show some love for your car!
Cold weather drains a battery's power faster. It's a fact! What that means is that your battery will have less of a charge and will need to work harder in the cold to start your engine.
Before you start your car, make sure the lights, heaters and defrosters are turned off to alleviate strain on the battery upon startup.
Can't remember how old your car battery is? Perhaps it's time to get your battery tested and possibly replaced. It would be a terrible time to get stranded out in this weather.
Mind your space (heaters)!
Rough weather like this brings out the electric space heaters. I get it! We have one that floats around our office to take the chill out. These little guys are great to have around, but use with caution! Most have a device that will shut them off in the event they are tipped over but older ones may not.
If you have to use an extension cord to run your heater, think twice! It is recommended that if one must use an extension cord that it is heavy duty and supports at least the same voltage as the heater. Space heaters are typically better off plugged directly into an outlet!
Why isn't my faucet working?
So, you get up in the middle of the night and discover water just trickles out of your faucet. What do you do? Don't go back to bed! If water is trickling as it comes out of a faucet it's a sign there's ice in the pipes. Leave the faucet running to help melt the ice, and keep cabinet doors near the pipes open to circulate warmer air. You can use a carefully positioned electric space heater to help thaw the pipes (remember the above advice). Do not use open-flame appliances or tools to heat the pipes. If those measures don't work, call a plumber.
Groaner of the Week!
A man rushed into the doctor's office and shouted, "Doctor! I think I'm shrinking!"
The doctor calmly responded, "Now, settle down. You'll just have to be a little patient."
Be safe and warm!
Until the next time,
Eric M. Murray, CFP®
Happy Frigid Friday!
Written by GA Campbell Agency on Feb 20, 2015