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SALT LAKE CITY - With a heavy storm predicted for areas along the Wasatch Front, is your family prepared for the dangers that come with it?
When snow is falling outside, your first instinct inside is to crank up the heat. But before you do, it's important to make sure everything is working.
Gary Christensen with Lee's Heating and Air Conditioning -- a company part of the Rocky Mountain Gas Association -- says it's important to have your furnace serviced every year.
He says, "Literally, when you don't maintain your furnace, you cut its life in half."
Not only does it improve efficiency, a check can also make you safer.
Carbon monoxide -- an odorless, colorless and deadly gas -- can seep into your home from problems with your furnace.
"The older it gets, the more critical it is," says Christensen.
Also critical is to be prepared for inevitable winter storm power outages.
Margaret Oler, with Rocky Mountain Power, says, "[You should] have an emergency kit prepared ahead of time, something, especially at this time of year, that will keep you warm, have blankets, have a flashlight with batteries, have a battery-operated radio and a clock that runs on batteries."
Rocky Mountain Power suggests also including bottled water, canned food and a can opener.
They follow the American Red Cross' guidelines of having at least 72 hours worth of supplies. Because when these storms blow in, there's no guessing what damage will come with them.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
