How To Protect Your Home During Extreme Cold

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Every Minnesotan felt Thursday's bitter temperatures, and they were not so happy about it

But it's not just people feeling the freeze. Your home may be hurting, too.

In these negative temperatures, KURA home maintenance expert Daniel Felt says homeowners need to keep an eye on their sump pumps for ice build-ups.

"Water comes through here and it starts getting stuck and it completely freezes, jamming it so the water can't get out of your home," Felt said.

He showed us how ice buildup can have long term, expensive impacts on a home. Last winter, he says their company had to help several homeowners come spring time when the frozen sump pumps started melting.

"Water started building up, and then flooded dozens, hundreds of basements in the Minneapolis area," Felt said.

He says furnaces are also working extra hard to heat your homes when it's this cold, so homeowners should replace their filters as a precaution.

"It's extra helpful to go in when it's this cold and change your furnace filter today. It's just helping prolong the life of your furnace and help it run more efficiently," he said.

Finally, a cold weather tip he recommends is keeping your thermostat at the same, moderate temperature -- even when you leave the house.

"Keeping it set at 70 degrees is a really good idea so your furnace isn't overworking," Felt said.

Friday morning will be almost as cold as early Thursday. Frostbite can occur as fast as 15 minutes on exposed skin, so keep your hands and head protected when you're outside.