Last time we went over winter weather emergecy preparedness. Now it's time to think about the basics of "winterizing" your home, and if you have rent properties or a house that you are responsible for, those also. This latter has been on something on our minds because of an elderly relative that's no longer staying in her house, but may return to it and so it needs to be maintained.

In Southwest Oklahoma, and of course that means North Texas too, our winters are generally milder and short lived. To give you an idea, at the Clarks, and many other households I know, the heat was just turned on this week -- mid-November. Still, you can't rule out that occassional ice storm, like we had last winter.

A good piece of information this week came by way of Roto-Rooter -- established in 1935 and is the largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services in North America.

It reminds us that in this part of the country, we should take preventive action before Dec. 1. They are right, you don't wan't to wait until the cold weather is already here.

What Roto-Rooter recommends:

• Disconnect outside water hoses. If left connected during freezing temperatures, water in hoses will freeze and expand causing connecting faucets and pipes to freeze and break.
• Inspect outside faucets. If dripping or leaking, make the necessary repairs or call a plumber before a hard freeze.
• Note that when pipes freeze, water pressure builds causing cracks, no matter if the pipe is made of plastic, copper or steel. Even a tiny crack can unleash 250 gallons of floodwater in a single day.  
• If your home is equipped with interior shut-off valves leading to outside faucets, close them and drain water from lines.
• Cover outside faucets using a faucet insulation kit.
• Insulate pipes in unheated areas. It's a lot easier to do this on a pleasant day than when cold winds are blowing. Apply heat tape or thermostat-controlled heat cables around exposed pipes.
• Your water heater works harder during winter months. Drain sediment from the tank, which causes corrosion and reduces efficiency.  
• Set water heater thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for optimum performance while reducing the risk of scalding.
• Clear leaves and debris from roof gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage throughout the winter season. You may have to do this again until the leaves are off of the surrounding trees.
• Inspect and clean basement sump pit. Remove any rocks and debris from the pit then dump a bucket of water into the pit to test the sump pump. If it turns on, empties the pit quickly then turns itself off, it is operating properly.
• Make sure the furnace is set no lower than 55 degrees during the winter to prevent pipes from freezing.