Camargo Ins Agcy Inc

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Be prepared to combat frozen pipes
Thousands of families have one or more rooms in their homes ruined and their lives disrupted each winter by water pipes
freezing and breaking. According to the Institute for Business and Home Safety, claim payments over the past decade for
these types of losses have exceeded $4billion. When the outside temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit
(minus 6 degrees Celsius), water pipes in homes with little or no insulation are likely to freeze and break. A small intrusion of frigid outside air can easily freeze a pipe located near an outside wall. Just a one-eighth inch (3-millimeter) crack in a pipe can spew out more than 250 gallons of water a day, destroying floors, furniture, appliances and personal items.
Homeowners can avoid frozen pipes by having adequate insulation where pipes run along outside walls, floors and ceilings. You should disconnect outside garden hoses, wrap exposed pipes with insulating sleeves or tape, and seal foundation cracks that allow cold air to freeze pipes in crawl spaces. If you feel that weather conditions that could cause freezing are eminent, open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warmer room air to circulate around pipes. Allow a small trickle of water to run from faucets, especially those along outside walls. If you determine your pipes have frozen, open the faucets and turn the water supply off at the water main. As the pipes thaw, this will reduce the amount of water that leaks from the area of the burst pipe and remove the water supply to the leak. Never use any type of torch or open flame to thaw a pipe. Better a small flood than a big fire. You can use the warm air of a hair dryer, or portable heater to thaw the frozen pipe, but if you are using a combustion type heater be sure that there is adequate ventilation and no risk of fire. Do not use a combustion type heater in a confined space. Make sure that whatever warming device you use is UL
approved. Just an ounce of prevention will save you tons of grief. Using these simple steps could prevent a serious claim and disruption to your life.
Using Candles Safely

Retail sales of candles have grown at least 700% in the last 10 years, according to the National Candle Association. While candles can create atmosphere and spread soothing aromas, candle fires are responsible for an estimated 23,600
residential fires each year, causing over 1,500 injuries and 165 fatalities. Candle fires tend to include an element of
seasonality. Thirty-five percent of candle sales occur during the winter season and twenty-four percent of all candle fires
occur in December and January. The Na t iona l Fi r e I n c i d e n t Re p o r t i n g System (NFIRS) reports that the majority of candle fires occur as a result of error or negligence. Over half of such fires result from placing the candle too close to combustibles, while twenty-one percent of residential candle fires involve an unattended or unsupervised individual. Twelve-percent of candle fires occur when the candle user falls asleep. Most candle fires occur in the bedroom, followed by living or family rooms. The Massachusetts State Fire Marshal developed a program called
"Candle Circle of Safety.

1. Burn candles inside a 1-foot circle of safety, free of anything that can ignite.
2. Extinguish candles after use.

Common sense and caution must be used when burning candles. Following simple safety tips can make the use of candles enjoyable, while preventing the possible devastation of a home fire.