Watch CBS News

A bitter blast of sub-zero temperatures is headed towards the Pittsburgh area. Here's how to keep your home protected and safe.

CBS News Live
CBS News Pittsburgh Live

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With a bitter blast of sub-zero temperatures soon on their way to the Pittsburgh area, there's a number of things you can do to keep your home safe and protected.

Over the next few days, you can prepare to make sure you have enough heat to avoid problems as long as the deep freeze lasts.

A healthy home and heating system will be fine, but it's the older or marginal systems and homes we have to worry about. 

Between now and next week, here are things to consider and prepare doing.

Check your furnace filters

While it's been a couple of years since we've seen temperatures as low as where we're heading, there is a certainty about your furnace.

"This thing's going to run a lot," said Rocci Florio, President of Air Pro Heating and Cooling.

Florio says the fact it's going to run more means putting more stress on the furnace and a dirty filter will restrict the air flow.

"That could cause your furnace to kick the limit off, which will shut the furnace off," Florio said. "And now you don't have any heat and you may not know that till the next morning. You just wake up and you're cold."

Florio says to leave the thermostat at the same temperature around the clock because turning it down when you're gone means for your furnace, a more intense and stressful rewarming when you get home that can take several hours.

Make sure oil or propane tanks are filled

If your heat is from oil or propane, Florio says to make sure your tank is above 20% full.

"The system will shut down with not enough pressure from the oil or propane," Florio said.

Seal your doors and windows

You should also seal up the house now. You can go old school when it comes to the doors.

"Take a towel, you know, your bath towel, and put it at the bottom of the door," Florio said. "You can do that or they sell blockers."

Check to make sure your windows are completely closed, also.

"Expansion and contraction can occur, which will cause it to maybe just slip a little bit and you will have a crack," Florio said.

To make sure that doesn't happen, lock the window so it stays in place.

In your darkened garage, check for light coming in around the door. If you see light, it's a cold air pathway that will need sealed.

Protect your pipes and be safe with space heaters

Opening your heating vents in the basement can help protect your pipes from freezing.

If you're going to use a space heater, clean around it to make sure it can't catch anything on fire and always plug them directly into the wall. Don't use an extension cord.

Space heaters should be turned off while you're sleeping for fire safety reasons.

Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Chief Darryl Jones says if you're worried about pipes in a garage or basement, make sure the water continues to flow through those pipes overnight with perhaps more than just a trickle.

If you're wondering whether there is that much of a difference between single digit temperatures and a few degrees below zero, the answer is yes, based on the emergency calls that HVAC workers and plumbers will get.

Every degree down puts more stress on the systems and emergency calls go up significantly and it gets really hard to get someone to come help when you're shivering and really need them. 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.