KANSAS CITY, Mo — This weekend is going to be a doozy as a major winter storm will make its way to Kansas City, and crews are expecting to be very busy.
So, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) experts are sharing tips on things you can do to make sure your home is prepared before you have to make that call.
"We are expecting quite a bit of calls," said Kylar McGowen, a field supervisor at Cates Heating and Cooling. "We’re expecting a lot of customers who don’t know their issues."
If that sounds like you, they have you covered. As you prepare for the blistering cold temps this weekend, they’re reminding you to check your filters and pipes now.
"Opening up your cabinets if it's really, really cold out and you have blocked cabinets or blocked pipes underneath your cabinets — you'll want to keep those open so that way the warm air can get in and prevent the pipes from freezing," McGowen said.
Anthony’s Heating and Cooling is also preparing for a hectic weekend.
"You can use preventive maintenance there by insulating the pipes beforehand, using foam insulation," said Shawn Williams, a plummer at Anthony’s Heating and Cooling.
While the use of fireplaces and space heaters are acceptable in moderation, they warn to find safe ways to keep warm. They say be ready for anything, even extreme circumstances.
"The oven, I wouldn’t use it unless it’s a worst-case scenario," said Chris Frazier, Sr., filed supervisor at Anthony’s Heating and Cooling. "If you’re in an emergency, absolutely turn the oven on, warm the room up. But I would not leave it on overnight or anything of that nature."
Also keep a steady flow of water dripping from your faucets. Hot and cold can be run at the same time.
They say the pennies you’d save keeping your water off, aren’t worth the thousands you’ll spend if your pipes burst.
"It doesn’t have to be extreme just a little bit of water will keep your pipes and faucets from freezing," McGowen said.
Lastly, try to keep the temperature consistent. Turning your heat up and down can over work your furnace.
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