There are many things to worry about when the mercury dips as low as it is now and will be for the next few days.

Among the top concerns should be the plumbing and heating in your home.

Joe McCormick with G.M. Mechanical in High River says keeping your furnace exhaust vents clear is job one when it gets this cold.

"We're getting icicles, I've got one at my own home on a tankless unit that's almost 8' tall. So, you just have to knock it down and make sure it doesn't plug off the vent. That ice can do havoc for your furnace when it tries to breathe. It's just like anything, your car, if you block the exhaust, your engines not going to work too good."

McCormick says your best bet if you have any pipes on an outside wall is just to run them a few minutes a day so they don't get the chance to freeze.

He says another big problem they see is people leaving their garden hoses attached over the Winter, which can lead to all kinds of problems.

"It's one of those things that you learn from your parents when you grow up, or you learn the hard way. Even in the trade, one time I forgot and it happened to me. I left my garden hose on an outside tap and it froze on the inside."

McCormick says that can lead to either a burst pipe now, or in the Spring when it thaws out.

He says it's best to just unhook your hose in Fall, and install a frost free tap.

 

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