Keeping your home warm and your car safe this winter

SPOKANE, Wash. — As temperatures continue to drop, there are a few things you can do to keep your home warm and toasty and your car running smoothly.

Amanda French, owner of AF Honest Home Services, said most winter weather home issues, like bust pipes and broken furnaces, can be avoided by keeping your home warm.

“Don’t turn it too low, don’t turn it too high, leave it on your average,” she said.

French said changing the temperature constantly can wear out your furnace and be expensive.

If you home is without heat, you can use a space heater, but it’s important to be careful.

“Make sure that you put it in a place where, no matter where it might fall over, if it ever did, it wouldn’t fall into something that’s going to catch on fire,” she said.

To avoid frozen and burst pipes, French said you should leave sink cabinets open to allow warm air to circulate near the pipes. You can also let your faucets drip a little water.

“We want to have a drip. It’s not a huge water bill, and it makes sure that there’s still water flowing, because pipes break because there is water inside that freezes and expands,” French said.

She also encourages people to check their windows and doors and cover up any drafty areas with blankets or seals.

When it comes to keeping your car running well this winter, professionals say to start with the battery.

“Battery charging system tests are very important because if the battery is weak, when it gets this cold, it’s even colder,” said Neftali Guadron, owner of Nef’s Auto Repair.

He said it is also important to check that your coolant has good freeze protection.

“That should be getting checked out at oil changes. It’s an important test, especially in the Inland Northwest, because if you’re not checking it, it’s going to freeze. And if it freezes, well, you’ve got bigger problems at that point,” Guadron said.

You can check your car coolant’s freeze protection at home using a hydrometer, which you can purchase at any auto parts store.

It’s also important to make sure your windshield wipers are working and your wiper fluid is not frozen.

“Make sure that the washer fluid is something that is protected at negative 20,” Guadron said.

In the mornings when you start the car, check for any engine lights that might come on and pay attention to your tire pressure.

“The tires are a big one because people will neglect their tires and the condition of their tires and get in accidents,” Guadron said.

He said many auto shops will check for many of these issues for free.

“We do offer a lot of these basic checks that we do not charge for. There’s no fee for them. It’s that way for a reason, because we want people checking their cars and catching these things before it becomes a bigger problem,” Guadron said.