OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – While you may still be mentally preparing for the sub-zero temperatures that are coming this week, the physical preparations should start now. Plumbing, vehicles, plants – there’s a lot to look at.
For vehicles, AAA Oklahoma advises checking your battery and tire pressure and topping up system fluids.
“As far as warming up your car, these newer cars it’s not as vital to the car’s maintenance that you warm them up before you drive them,” said AAA roadside assistance manager Jason Cravens. “But it’s not a bad idea to go out and start your car five, ten minutes early. If anything, it makes you more comfortable inside.”
Hull Plumbing emphasized turning off hoses, opening cabinets, and draining your faucets—especially those on exterior walls—all to protect your pipes.
“Make sure all lines are adequately insulated and properly insulated,” said Director of Operations Daniel Green. “Properly insulated will make sure the insulation joints where they come together are taped or sealed because we want to maintain the air barrier. We want to keep the heat of the air between the plumbing and the insulation, which will protect the water inside the plumbing.”
He also advised homes with crawl spaces to close vents leading outside.
TLC Gardening Center Nursery Director Darrell Pothorst recommended that people water their plants before the weather falls.
“So if they can get out today, tomorrow, before the extreme cold gets here, water is the most important thing to help the plants right now,” he explained. “The moisture acts as insulation for the roots and really protects against hard freezes.”
The Oklahoma City Fire Department told KFOR they see an increase in fires during the winter. battalion chief Benny Fulkerson said they’ve even dealt with fires this week involving hot ashes from a fireplace that were thrown into a trash can without first cooling properly, and a space heater that was so close to the bed that the mattress has caught fire.
Heaters are a big talking point for the OKC Fire.
“You hear this every year, but we can’t say it enough, if you’re going to use a heater, you really need to plug it directly into a wall outlet and don’t use those extension cords,” Fulkerson said. “They really overheat and can catch fire because of that.”
For more weather tips go here:
https://kfor.com/news/local/how-to-prepare-for-oklahomas-freezing-temperatures/
https://kfor.com/news/local/tips-protecting-your-electronic-devices-from-winter-temperatures/