Lesson Of The Day: 8 Simple Cold Weather Safety Tips....

Keeping It Real: Extremely low temperatures are on the way and we want you to be ready. Here are some tips that can keep you and your home safe.

1. Make sure all appliances and heating equipment, such as a furnace, water heater or stove, are inspected and operating properly, and operate all pieces of equipment according to the manufacturer's instructions.
2. Never use stoves, ovens or outdoor grills as a source of heat.
3. Provide adequate ventilation when using fireplaces or un-vented space heaters.
4. If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
5. If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away from things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs.
6. Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.  Using secondary heating sources, such as space heaters, can increase the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning.
7. Protect your pipes - run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage. **Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. 
8. Check your carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors to ensure they are operating properly. Ya Dig?....