Do you have a plan for common winter home emergencies like frozen pipes, power outages or no heat? When disaster strikes, it’s never convenient. Your furnace won’t break on a warm summer day. Your pipes won’t freeze when you have a leisurely afternoon off to solve the problem. They’ll both wait until you have a mandatory work meeting, out-of-town guests heading over from the airport and a sink overflowing with dishes to stop working.
We’ve created a helpful list of steps to take when home emergencies happen. Our emergency service technicians have seen it all and we’re sharing ways to mitigate damage, get help and get your systems running smoothly again!
Winter Home Emergency #1: Furnace Not Working
Few feelings are as scary as realizing your furnace is not working properly in the middle of winter. Your heat isn’t just a convenience — it’s a serious necessity that keeps your family safe and protects your pipes from freezing. It also protects your other home systems, electronics, appliances and even furniture from the damage of freezing temperatures.
When the heat stops working, it’s a problem that needs to be addressed immediately. Even if it happens on a warm day. Remember, the warmest winter day in Colorado is almost always followed by a steep drop in overnight temperatures.
Troubleshooting Furnace Problems
Flow Right’s emergency services team gets a lot of calls from concerned customers with furnace problems this time of year:
- Furnace not running at all
- Pilot light out
- Thermocoupler issues
- Loud noises like banging or screeching
- Heater runs continuously
- Short cycling
- Cold air blowing from vents
If you notice the heat is not working, here are a few steps you can take to start solving the problem:
- Check the breaker. Your furnace has a dedicated breaker in your electrical panel to protect the fan and other electrical components — even gas furnaces. If the breaker is off, try flipping it back on once. If the breaker keeps tripping, call a licensed HVAC company. You could damage your furnace by forcing it.
- Check your thermostat. Is there power to the thermostat? If battery-operated, do they need replacement? Is the thermostat itself still functioning?
- Inspect the furnace. Make sure you smell for the telltale signs of a gas leak when entering the area where your furnace is installed. It’s typically the odor of rotten eggs.
- Is the furnace shut-off switched to the “ON” position?
- Are all the covers and doors firmly affixed to the furnace?
- Is the furnace filter clean and mounted properly?
- Is the pilot light lit?
- Are all vents and intakes clear of debris indoors and outside?
- Call an HVAC technician. Fixing the thermostat is easy. So is flipping a breaker or adjusting a loose panel. If those solutions do not work, it’s time to call a professional. Your furnace is a complex system that really does need expert attention when the problems go deeper than a dirty filter.
Winter Home Emergency #2: CO Detector Sounds the Alarm
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas that is odorless, tasteless and deadly. It occurs when natural gas, propane or other carbon producing fuels burn in a space without enough oxygen. Examples include a furnace burning in a house with poor ventilation or someone using an outdoor generator inside their home during a blizzard (never do this).
Carbon monoxide can be deadly within mere minutes. People who manage to seek help quickly after they encounter CO poisoning can still have long-term health issues including brain and lung damage. That is why it is a necessity to have a carbon monoxide detector in the home at all times, on all floors with sleeping areas in homes that contain fuel-burning appliances or fireplaces.
What to do if Your CO Detector Goes Off
- Leave the building immediately. Gather your family members and pets and exit to a safe location outside. Do not gather your belongings or valuables, CO will not harm non-living objects.
- Call 911 or your local utility company from a safe distance and inform them your CO detector is sounding an alert.
- Call a doctor or visit an emergency room if you feel nauseous or dizzy or if you are having trouble breathing.
- Stay outside at all times. If it’s not living, you don’t need to worry about it. Don’t go in to open windows or grab forgotten items. First responders can assist you once they have assessed your situation.
Symptoms of CO Poisoning
There are many reasons that a CO detector may not work. When that happens, you may be exposed to CO without knowing it. Here are some signs you may have issues with carbon monoxide in your home.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headaches
- Racing heart
- Trouble breathing
- Loss of consciousness
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Slurred speech
- Trouble with balance, walking and coordination
- Dizziness
- Seizures
Preventing CO Poisoning
Ensure Your Home/Heat Source Has Proper Ventilation: CO poisoning occurs most often in homes with poor ventilation. Sometimes homes are too well insulated and don’t give gasses anywhere to go. Other times, a vent becomes clogged or the area around a furnace or fireplace becomes cluttered or dirty and prevents proper airflow. Additionally, using heaters, fireplaces, stoves and furnaces improperly can lead to carbon monoxide in the home. Using the oven as a heat source, for example, or bringing in outdoor-rated appliances to heat the home inside — patio heaters, generators or burn barrels.
Schedule Annual Furnace Inspections: Have your furnace inspected by a professional HVAC technician once a year to check for potential problems like poor airflow, leaking gas lines or clogged vents. They can also test the air around your furnace compartment for leaking gas.
Install and Test CO Detectors
Do not leave CO poisoning to chance. It truly is a silent killer! A CO detector will alert you day or night, awake or asleep. In fact, they are required in residential homes in many cities, counties and states. They are absolutely required in Colorado Springs and Pueblo. No one will come to your home just to check and see if you have one installed, but homeowners are often surprised when local inspectors ask to see their CO alarms during visits to approve unrelated work like installing new plumbing or making electrical upgrades.
Winter Home Emergency #3: Frozen Pipes
Frozen pipes don’t seem like that big of a deal beyond inconvenience. You can just wait for them to thaw and just keep going, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Frozen pipes create more problems than stopping your morning shower. Water expands when it freezes and your icy pipe can quickly become cracked or even burst from the pressure. Fittings and fixtures can also become damaged from freezing, leading to weaknesses that may become leaks and cracks later on.
What to Do if Your Pipes Freeze
If you wake up in the morning and turn on the faucet only to discover there’s no water, it’s important to take immediate action. Yes, you can wait for the pipes to thaw, but it’s important to remember that once ice is no longer there to stop water from flowing, you may have a leak — or even a flood. Proactive intervention is the key to preventing flooding or damage if your pipes are broken. While we strongly recommend you call in a professional, we do have some steps you can take in the meantime.
Steps to Take When Pipe Freeze
- Shut off the main water valve. This will prevent water from continuing to flow into your home if there is a burst or large leak. Once that ice becomes water again, you don’t want an endless supply pumping through a hole under your sink.
- Search for the frozen pipe. Freezing usually occurs away from the central warmth of the house, like an exterior wall. Pipes under sinks or those connected to exterior faucets are also prone to freezing.
- Open the faucet connected to the frozen pipe. It will give melting ice a place to flow and take pressure off the affected pipe.
- Check for leaks. If you notice a burst or any cracking, call a plumber immediately. Prepare for melting ice with towels and buckets to soak up/contain any water that results.
- If it’s not visibly damaged, you can attempt to thaw the affected pipe. You can use a hair dryer or space heater to gently warm the pipe. Do not use lighters or any form of open flame.
- Call a plumber. Even if you have successfully thawed your pipes, you should have a plumber come in for an inspection. Chances are that it wasn’t the only pipe that froze. Plumbers can use leak detection devices to search for damage along the pipe that may not be as obvious. Remember, a slow leak like a tiny crack or a freeze-damaged fitting can damage your home for years without you knowing it.
Frozen Pipe Prevention
There are a few steps you can take to reduce the chances that your pipes freeze when the overnight temperatures get dangerously low.
- Open cabinets under sinks at night to allow the warmth of the house to protect the pipes.
- Run faucets with a drip on colder nights to keep water moving through the pipes.
- Consider adding heat tape to vulnerable pipes.
- Winterize exterior faucets.
- Ensure all hoses and attachments are removed from exterior faucets.
- Use space heaters (where it is safe to do so) in spaces prone to freezing.
Give Flow Right a call if you would like some assistance with freeze prevention. We can help you minimize the chances of icy pipes and longterm damage.
Winter Home Emergency #4: Power Outage
Power outages can cause big problems in the winter. Even worse, you may have no control over when your power will be restored. For example, if your power outage is due to destruction of power lines or larger city/county infrastructure, you could find yourself without power for days or even weeks. Our tips are here to help you in the immediate aftermath of a power outage so you can stay safe and try to protect your home from cold damage.
- Bundle up and gather together. Start by making sure all humans and pets have adequate warm clothing and blankets. If you have babies, small children or vulnerable adults, you may want to consider sending them off to a family member or going to a hotel.
- Open up cabinets under sinks and pipes. Turn on faucets to a slight drip. This will let any residual heat warm your pipes and keep water flowing so it’s harder to freeze.
- Unplug appliances and electronics. Turning off appliances will help protect them from power surges or any erratic issues caused by system powering back on.
- Prevent CO poisoning. It can be tempting to rely on gas ovens, outdoor heaters, outdoor grills or other unsafe heat sources “just for a few hours.” Don’t do this. As noted above, CO poisoning can be deadly. Additionally, the risk of fire is too great!
- Keep the fridge and freezer closed as much as possible. Despite the weather outside being cold, it won’t get cold enough indoors to keep food from spoiling. Try to conserve the cold in your refrigerator as long as you can.
- Practice generator safety. Use the proper fuels. Keep it outdoors. Do not overload it with appliances. Follow the owners manual for guidelines on oil, fuel, operational time and capabilities.
Power Outage Prep
You can weather a power outage much more easily if you prepare ahead of time.
- Make sure you have a flashlight that is fully charged or contains fresh batteries.
- Keep portable generators maintained with proper fuel, repair and oiling.
- Keep a supply of fresh water you can use for hydration, sanitation and cooking.
- Keep a supply of easy-to-prep meals like canned goods or dehydrated meals.
- Fill your bathtub with water before big storms or cold snaps if you live in an area prone to outages. You can use the water for sanitation and flushing the toilet.
- Install a home generator system that powers on in the event of an emergency. Generators can keep you living very comfortably, even during long outages.
With preparation, you can manage a power outage overnight or even longer. Just remember to focus on keeping everyone warm, fed and hydrated while being conscientious about CO poisoning, frozen pipes and other potential issues.
Call Flow Right for 24/7 Peace of Mind
If you need more help with a winter home emergency than these tips can provide, give Flow Right a call. We offer 24/7 emergency services for plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical emergencies and we’ll get a professional technician out to help you solve your problems and get your home back in order.