Home Energy Expert Offers Tips On Getting Ready For The Snowstorm
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- With the big snowstorm heading our way, are people ready?
CBS 2's Elise Finch was in New Rochelle with the Mobile Weather Lab on Wednesday to ask that question.
Most homeowners Finch spoke to said they're ready, but one home energy expert suggested doing one last check.
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"I think we have our shovels ready, our snow blowers ready and we've had enough storms to know what to do," resident Susan Kern said.
"I think after Hurricane Sandy, a lot of people think a lot differently about the storms and take it perhaps more seriously than they used to," Barbara Nunziato added.
That's certainly true for Brendan Connroy, but he just found out that a displaced chimney cap means his home isn't quite as storm ready as he thought.
"During Sandy it blew off into my neighbor's yard and I haven't had an opportunity to get somebody to put it back up there for me," Connroy said.
Vincent Hannigan, a home performance expert with Bruni & Campisi Energy and Conservation, said a missing chimney cap lets in snow, branches and other debris that can clog the chimney.
"When that happens, you can then have carbon monoxide gasses backing up into the home, you're not venting your gas systems properly," Hannigan said.
Hannigan also said make sure your home's roof is in good condition, storm windows are secured and that gutters are clear so they can carry away melting snow.
"You want to be able to have any water that's gonna be running off the house be able to get away from the home quickly so that you don't develop ice damming," Hannigan said.
Ice damming is a condition that can destroy your gutters and your roof.
Inside the home, Hannigan said know where the gas shutoff valves are for your water heater and boiler or furnace. Disconnecting them during an emergency could protect your home.
And if you're without heat for a long period of time, allow your faucets to drip so your pipes don't freeze.
"Water is not going to freeze when its moving," Hannigan said.
The experts also recommend stocking up on home heating oil in case deliveries are slow after the snowstorm. They also said drain the gas in your snow blower and replace it because stagnant gas can damage a motor.
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