Preparing for the cold

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by DaninEGF

I have always wondered about covering the outside A/C unit..... we never have and most up here dont. Any thoughts on this?

Our HVAC guy said NEVER cover your AC unit---it just promotes rust. If you have a lot of leaves or debris in the area--a piece of plywood over the top helps keep it clean.

[Kamsack]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Our HVAC guy said NEVER cover your AC unit---it just promotes rust. If you have a lot of leaves or debris in the area--a piece of plywood over the top helps keep it clean.

thanks.....our ac is inspected regularly and they never mentioned it either....

[Mr. In-Between]

Oh, I just thought of another one. Apologies if someone else mentioned it and I didn't notice. In very cold weather, it's an excellent idea to check the air pressure on your tires much more frequently than you normally would. Very cold temperatures can cause the rubber in the tires to become stiff and not form as tight a seal to the rims, and air can leak out - especially if the rim is a little rusty or damaged in any way. It's also not unheard of for a valve stem that's starting to go bad to fail in sub-zero weather, because the brass can contract in the cold. I always make it a point to visually check the tires every morning to see if they look noticeably low, and check the actual air pressure a couple of times a week.

And speaking of tires, you might want to consider checking all your lug nuts to make sure they're not air-hammered on too hard to remove with your tire wrench. if they're tight now, they're going to be even tighter when it's 20 below zero. In that vein, it's also a good idea to carry a can of penetrating oil in the trunk, in case you need to juice up the lug nuts.

[irootoo]

Besides regular roadway ice, sleet, etc., there is also something called "black ice" that is especially treacherous because it is pretty much invisible, so any time you hear that term, know that the road surface will look dry but will actually be slippery.

Freeway ramps will freeze up before other roadways, so in sleet, freezing rain, etc., be extra cautious when driving on them.

Aside from driving, sidewalks can be treacherous, too. There are usually a great many ER visits in the winter for broken bones, sprains, etc., due to falls. I would suggest being cautious while walking outside in winter until you get used to navigating slippery surfaces. It helps to bend your knees and keep your center of gravity low. If you like to walk a lot and you want to have better footing, you can get YakTrax or Sure Foot cleats; they have helped me stay upright many times.