Always ensure that fire hydrants near your home are clear of any obstructions including cars, snow, and ice. This saves invaluable time in the event of a fire. We appreciate the help!

When the weather is below freezing, frozen pipes can cause burst causing serious problems and damage to your home. To reduce the risk:

• Keep all entries to unheated spaces closed as much as possible
• Ensure all cracks, holes, and other opening on the exterior walls are tightly sealed with caulk or insulation to prevent cold air from penetrating
• Insulate all pipes using pipe insulation
• When extreme cold is predicted, let all faucets drip to prevent freezing of water inside the pipe
• If pipes are located adjacent to the exterior walls or within base-cabinets/closets, leave the doors open or use a fan to increase warm air circulation around pipes

Please have your furnace inspected annually. Improper maintenance of and/or malfunctions of your furnace could lead to a variety of emergencies:

Oil-Burning Furnaces

“Puff backs” occur when oil-burning furnaces don’t ignite when they should. Oil vapors build up, causing an explosion when the igniter triggers.

This blows soot into the heating system, which is carried throughout the house.

To prevent puff backs, oil-burning appliances should be serviced once per year.

Gas-Burning Furnaces

Gas furnaces have control shutoffs to prevent gas leaks, but they are not fail-safe. If you smell something like rotten eggs, you may have a gas leak.

Don’t turn lights on or off, and do not try to shut off the gas leading to the furnace.

Exit the house and call 911. Do not re-enter your home.

ALWAYS REMEMBER – IF CARBON MONOXIDE OR SMOKE DETECTORS GO OFF, OR IF YOU SMELL GAS OR ANYTHING BURNING, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY