TYLER, Texas — As winter weather approaches East Texas it's time to start prepping your home to protect it from any damage.
From covering your exposed pipes to making sure your space heater is at a safe distance away from anything flammable.
But what else should be done to make sure your home is properly prepared?
Randall Gardner with Mister Sparky of Tyler said there are many steps you can take to not overwork your electrical panel.
"Mainly right now with electrical, with the heat going and everything, that puts the most demand on your electrical system," Gardner said.
He also said as we reach freezing temperatures you should keep your thermostat set between 68 to 65 degrees.
"Your heating unit is the biggest demand on your electrical system and when we put constant heat running all the time, that's putting a large strain on your electrical system," Gardner said.
Gardner also emphasized that space heater safety is a priority.
"We just want to make sure we're not putting more than one space heater in an outlet," Gardner said. "That puts a whole lot of strain on that one duplex outlet that's in the wall."
He also said it’s best to make sure anything that could go up in flames like blankets, or even plush toys are at least three feet from any heating source. Gardner also said you should never plug in a space heater through a power strip.
Now that we’ve covered inside your home, what about outside like exposed pipes?
"When you have a hard freeze, and it's below freezing for more than 24 hours, then a lot of things get kind of get damaged at that point," said Mark Grosvenor, the general manager of C. Woods Company.
Grosvenor said when water freezes it expands, but the pipes holding the liquid do not expand with it which can cause them to burst. In order to avoid this damage that can cause thousands of dollars, Grosvenor said you can purchase hose bibs at your local hardware store.
"Also any exposed piping coming into your house, you want to make sure that that's covered real well and insulated," Grosvenor said.
Gardner also said as we turn up the heat our electric bills tend to rise with it. He mentioned that it’s always best to unplug unnecessary things like your phone charger when it’s not in use. It will decrease the demand for power and hopefully save you a few dollars.