How to prepare your home as winter darkens Lincoln’s door
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – With a winter weather advisory in place for parts of Nebraska, it’s never too early to start preparing for when Mother Nature knocks at your door.
To start, check off some of the more important things like disconnecting hose lines, draining and winterizing irrigation systems and getting your furnace and chimney cleaned by a professional.
MJ Lierman of Lincoln Fire & Rescue said this is also the perfect time of the year to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
“Make sure your batteries are in them, make sure they’re new,” she said. “Make sure you check those at least once a month.”
If your property includes a fire hydrant, be sure to clear space around that after a big snowfall.
“Make sure those hydrants have a nice clear area around them about 3 feet around so that we can get our 5-inch around it and get it hooked up and it doesn’t delay getting the water source for us.”
Even though the snow will bring more moisture on the ground, leaves and vegetation can still present a fire hazard.
SEE ALSO: How to save money on your heating this winter in Nebraska
Some good news this winter: You could see a lower gas bill thanks to record-high natural gas production.
Some experts project that the average household could save around 20% this year.
“We’re fortunate that we have higher supply, we’ve had a little bit lower usage,” said Brandy Johnson of Black Hills Energy. “So our storage levels going into winter are really good. So those two things have put us in a good spot to feel like we’re going to have lower bills this winter than we’ve seen in the past.”
And do not forget about your cars. It never hurts to have a mechanic take a look and make sure your fluids and tires are in good shape for winter weather.
