PULASKI, Va. (WFXR) – When the temperatures get low, it would be nice if everyone could bundle up by a fire and spend the day indoors, but not everyone can do that.
People like first responders have a job to do no matter how cold it gets. While layering up is a go-to solution, it can affect work efficiency.
“Many of those folks that work in those conditions every day, they get used to it,” Brad Wright, the emergency manager for Pulaski County, said. “It may slow progress down a little bit, but they adapt to it well, especially those doing that type of work for a long time.”
Even people staying inside need to be mindful of the cold, especially when it comes to plumbing.
Pipes will burst if the temperature gets too cold. Experts recommend people keeping them properly insulated.
“A lot of people if they live alone, want to turn off some of the heat in some of the rooms, don’t do that because that’s what keeps the underneath of your house warm in order to keep your pipes from freezing,” Jefferson Peak, the owner of Jeff Peak’s Plumbing, said. “Tape insulation or heat tape, or insulation on the pipe helps out a lot.”
If people lose power, it becomes a lot more challenging to keep the pipes from freezing.
Peak encourages people to have a plan for that and recommends propane space heaters.
“You can get camp propane tanks that go in them and they’re just a little, tiny thing,” he said. “They work great for putting off heat.”
Peak said he just bought a brand-new propane heater for his garage.