Winter Warming Tips

The cold of winter is still with us, but not for much longer. Seeing it through is an achievement and with some useful tips on how to stay warm until we get to spring, it should see us all through.

Have at least one hot meal a day alongside many hot drinks throughout. A little exercise every day will help keep you warm, try and get outside to do it, but if not no worries. Whenever you go outside always dress up warmly for once you do get cold it take lots to warm you up again. If you wearing several layers of thin clothing rather than a couple of thick materials clothing this is more effective for keeping warm.

The recommended temperature you should keep your home at is 21°C or 70°F. I don't know who has the right to tell you what the right temperature for your home is. This is a load of twaddle as far as I can see. Set your home to the temperature that you feel comfortable with, that surely is more sensible.

If you open the bedroom windows for around half and hour daily in the morning to air the room, then leave them securely shut all other times to keep the warmth in, this is a good system to have in place.

Why not use an electric blanket, it seems to have gone out of fashion recently even though it is an excellent way to keep warm. Just turn it on half an hour before you go to bed, then switch it off just before getting into bed. All you need is to be warm to get to sleep and you should dream through to the morning. By the way, never have a hot water bottle in bed with you if use an electric blanket.

A little time to wait now and these tips needn't be used, but don't forget, winter comes around every year so don't forget to stay happy and warm next year as well.

Electric - A Power That Should Be Respected

Ever since electricity was discovered is has transformed this world. Electricity is lean, efficient and product that a secondary source of power from a various range of sources. Today we can choose the way we create electric and the use of fossil fuel is now being turned over by solar, wind and wave power. We will never run out of electric sources form these primary sources of power and that is a small relief in a world of crisis on the environmental front.

We still must learn to conserve out electricity use until technology refines the way in which electricity is created with renewable sources. There is still a long way to go for that to be the main feed for power, but it is happening as the realisation that old sources are now running out.

Nuclear power electric is potentially the most economic form of power, but waste products that it produces are lethal to this planet and accidents do happen. There will always be an element of risk involved with this kind of generating of electric, whether we are prepared to take that risk has to be weighed up with what the alternatives are. Realistically nuclear power has its place as a minority source of power until renewable energy has established itself.

The cost of electric seems to go up each year, along with the electric services, but a percentage of the bills you pay go towards the development of technology and investment in alternative and greener sources of energy. Without this development funded by an electric using public progress in this field would be difficult if no impossible as governments usually have tight purse strings to funding this.

There are many ways you can save on your electric bills by just being sensible about things at work and at home. Probably the most effective way to save electric and of course save on your monthly bills is to educate yourself in this very much electric borne world of ours. Switching lights of you don’t need, turning the standby off on appliances that have it, getting energy efficient bulbs is just the tip of the iceberg on energy saving. It is up to you to take action of course, many millions of people already have, but then many millions haven’t and they should.

At the end of the day we need electricity imagine life without it now. At the same time we need to respect the luxury it gives us and not waste something that should be treasured.

Dealing with Burst Pipes and Water Damage During Winter

Every winter, more than 200,000 homes are water-damaged due to frozen pipes that have burst. For affected families, the effect is not just mere inconvenience but a serious interruption to their daily lives. Some families are even forced to seek temporary shelter because their homes have been rendered inhabitable by severe water damage. It is a fact that one in five homeowners insurance claims every year is related to water damage and such claims peak come wintertime when pipes become frozen and eventually burst.

Pipes that are Prone to Freezing

Some pipes in your home are more susceptible to freezing with the most obvious ones being those that are positioned outside such as pipes running along the house's exterior walls. Other pipes that are most exposed to the cold weather like pipes in crawl spaces, garage, and lofts are also likely to freeze. Also, the main water supply pipe carrying water to your home may also freeze in severely cold weather.

In addition, hot water pipes are not safe from freezing so it is important to winterize them too along with cold water pipes. Keep in mind also that cold air can travel up the pipes so the temperature outside the pipe does not have to be 0° Celsius or below for the pipes to freeze.

Steps to Take When Frozen Pipes Break

1. Turn off the main water supply line at the street. Call a plumber immediately if you cannot shut off the main line.

2. Switch off the electricity supply to your home at the meter box to prevent electric shocks form happening, which is something that could very well happen if there is a leak somewhere near an electrical wiring or anything electrical.

3. If there is water damage, call up your insurance company. It is standard for most home insurance polices to provide coverage for this kind of water damage. Talk to your agent about the necessary repairs and be clear about the details of your particular coverage.

4. If the affected room is not flooded but some parts are wet or damp from a leak, open the windows and doors to air dry the area.

5. Take your documents and possessions out of the affected area to make sure they don't get damaged by water.

How Does Water Freezing Cause Pipe Bursts?

During winter, the freezing temperature outside makes water supply pipes naturally at risk of freezing. Because water expands when it freezes and turns to ice, you can expect that there will not be enough room in the pipe for the sudden bulk. So, this creates the breaks and cracks in the pipe causing water to burst out of the pipe the moment the ice melts. Obviously, you will have to pay for the necessary pipe repair and replacement. However, the repair costs are preferable over spending thousands of dollars to fix more serious water damage caused by a massive leak.

Call for Professional Service

In most situations, calling a plumber to deal with a burst pipe is the best course of action. It's also the least troublesome for you. This is also true if there is water damage to your home caused by the burst pipe. Consider calling a professional water damage restoration company rather than try to do the job yourself, which could even lead to more damage

Leo Nov is an editorial staff member of RestorationSOS.com, a leading service provider for water damage cleanups. To learn more about burst pipe and water in Basement, visit RestorationSOS.com

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1165768_33.html
Author: Leo Nov
Image by Dr Stephen Dann via Flickr