SAN ANTONIO – Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing this week in San Antonio and the surrounding areas. It will be a chilly Christmas weekend, and hopefully, you have checked to ensure everything around your home is ready for the season’s first freeze.
When it comes to the outdoors, cover or bring in your plants and drain your sprinkler system.
“Make sure it’s completely drained. No water in the pipes, because when it gets down in the teens, you can have a lot of problems out in your yard,” George Saldaña, director of operations for Evenflow Home and Commercial Services.
Saldaña said not to overlook covering outdoor pipes with insulation, like foam padding found at local hardware stores.
Inside, leave your faucets on with more than just a drip, especially when the temperature drops under 34 degrees.
“Not a drip but a constant stream -- a little stream. As long as that water flowing, it’s going to dramatically reduce the likelihood of a pipe bursting,” Saldaña said.
Also, consider electrical safety when it comes to space heaters. If the heater is older than 10 years, throw it away.
“Those things don’t have built-in thermostats and stuff like that. Make sure you get a space heater of today’s standards that have a tilt protection,” Saldaña said.
To keep your home from getting too cold inside, cover all areas where air gets in and get your HVAC system checked every year.
“I would strongly recommend having a professional come out, take a look at it. Make sure you don’t have any gas leaks or anything like that because your furnace is going to be working overtime,” Saldaña said.
Check in with KSAT 12 meteorologists all week for the latest, up-to-date forecast.