Preparing for Winter Blizzards with Tips from Your Toms River Emergency Heating Oil Delivery Company
Are you among the New Jersey homeowners who were unprepared for the particularly harsh winter of 2013-2014? Although winter weather can be forecasted, it remains highly unpredictable. Before a heavy storm hits, it’s critical to make sure you are prepared – from compiling a cold-weather kit to finding a trusted emergency heating oil delivery service.
Prepare a Cold-Weather Kit
Contents
The basics for a home kit include candles, matches, flashlights, and water. You should also gather bottled water for drinking and moist towelettes for cleaning. Prepare a first aid kit, purchase a battery-powered radio, and collect a warm change of clothes for everyone in the family. Your kit should also include paper and pencils or other activities for your children. To ensure you have plenty of food on hand, fill a cabinet or box with non-perishable, ready-to-eat food and snacks.
If you have a fireplace, make sure it is ready to provide additional warmth and light. Clean it out ahead of time and have the flue professionally cleaned so that it is not a fire hazard in itself. Gather wood and any other supplies you might need. In case you need to go outside during inclement weather, have extra scarves, gloves, and socks on hand. Finally, prepare a contacts list in case of emergency, including the police, doctor’s office, veterinarian, and relatives.
Winterize Your Vehicle
As you prepare a kit for your home, you can simultaneously prepare a smaller version for your car. Invest in a high-quality ice scraper, and stock the car with a blanket, booster cables, emergency flares, and a snow shovel. Keep extra hats and gloves in the car in case yours get wet, and purchase a bag of cat litter or coarse sand for traction.
Meanwhile, keep your gas tank at least half full and make sure it is fully winterized. Inspect the undercarriage for leaks, top off fluid levels, and make sure your windshield wipers are in good working order. Make sure your tires properly inflated, and invest in new tires if yours are overly worn.
Review Home Safety
A brief power outage or being snowed in can create additional complications if you are not prepared. Follow these tips to keep everyone safe:
- Provide proper ventilation for combustible fuel sources
- Keep generators outside, far away from doors, vents, and windows
- Do not leave candles burning unattended
- Keep candles out of reach of children and pets in case of tampering or tipping over
- Only build fires in a properly cleaned fireplace, and do not build large ones
Emergency Heating Oil Delivery
Prepping your storage tank and keeping it full throughout winter will lessen your chances of running out of fuel. Scheduling automatic delivery ahead of time is another layer of protection. Your heating oil is monitored and more is delivered before your current fuel ever runs out.
Despite all preparations, however; we understand that emergencies can happen. Committed to being a solution that is available around the clock, we provide 24/7 service to handle any problems that arise. Contact us at (732) 349-5059 for all of your home or business inspection, servicing, and emergency heating oil delivery needs.