There is a lot of speculation about Y2K and the results it could have on your daily life come January 1st. While my views are that while Y2K may cause some wide-spread minor problems, most people won't be affected by it. However, I feel it doesn't hurt to be prepared. I'm not talking about going into your back yard and digging a fortress underground, I'm simply saying prepare for a week of minor mishaps and discomfort. I have 2 small children and live in a northern climate where January's temps could easily dip down to -20f. My biggest concern for my family is heat. Any disruption in electric or gas for even a couple of hours could really pose a problem. We have a wood burning stove in our family room, and will utilize it if need be. If you have a fireplace, now would be a good time to get it ready before the time gets too close. Order wood now. The prices in my area are already going up about $1-2 per week for a cord of wood. Have your chimney cleaned now before the sweeps are too busy and too expensive to get around to you.
Some other tips for the fireplace:
1.) order 1 or 2 year seasoned wood and order enough! You could easily burn a cord in less than a week if it's your only source of heat. Wood that's too green will not burn well and leave dangerous creosote deposits in your chimney.
2.) Learn the art of building a proper fire. Fires that are too big or too small pose risks. There is a fine line between the two. Too little flame will build creosote in the chimney, too much flame will overheat the fireplace and chimney causing the potential for a house fire.
3.) Keep the chimney clean! Call a sweep before your first fire of the year and half way through the winter if you're using the fireplace often. A sweep will keep the risk of a chimney fire to a minimum, and also inspect your chimney for cracks, problems, and proper draft. If you're lucky he will even show you the way to build a proper fire and how to use the flue.
4.) Use good equipment. Make sure you have proper protection in place to catch spark which inevitably will fly out of the fireplace. A fire screen, glass doors, and a fireproof hearth rug are a good start.
5.) Have a fire extinguisher handy at all times...just in case a spark migrates to the carpet. |
