Do this now to protect your home from the impending cold snap, save money

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Don’t wait, the time to prepare for this week’s impending cold blast is right now. Sub-freezing temperatures can cause huge problems for your home’s heating and water systems.

On a normal day, the technicians at Coolray Heating and Cooling respond to about 400 calls. But when freezing temperatures bear down on north Georgia, their Marietta call center sees a dramatic jump in frantic homeowners in need of help.

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“It would not surprise me if we got up to 500 to 600 calls per day. So, we are bringing in additional staff,” said Kimball Rice. “Everybody is prepped. We know we’re going to be working a little bit late some nights as the people need us.”

RELATED: Arctic blast impacts North Georgia late this week.

While Coolray and other home heating companies are ready for the additional workload, Rice says there are some things homeowners can do right now to ensure they stay warm come Friday. First, test your heating system.`

“If you haven’t turned on your heat yet, go ahead and turn it on. Make sure it’s working well,” said Rice. “If you haven’t had your system maintained or looked at in a couple of years or even a year, a lot can happen in the course of a year with it.”

RELATED: Tips for keeping your home warm in winter

Besides your furnace, homeowners should also protect their plumbing. The experts at Altanta-based The Home Depot recommend keeping interior faucets dripping overnight when temperatures are at their coldest. This will prevent them from freezing and potentially bursting as a result. They also say to open your cabinets under the kitchen and bathroom sinks especially if your pipes are on an exterior wall. This will allow your home’s heat to keep them warm. Danny Watson from The Home Depot says wrapping your pipes is also a good preventative measure against freezing.

“If you have any exposed pipes, we sell foam wrap that you can do that with. You know, even cracks and gaps around doors and windows, you can use the use caulking.”

Both Watson and Rice emphasize the importance of the proper use of a generator if the power goes out. Generators are never to be used inside. They should be kept several feet away from your home.

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