Protecting homes, vehicles in extreme cold temperatures

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(ABC 6 News) – With temperatures dropping, chances are the things you care about are working overtime to keep you warm, like your car and home.

Brian Keehn with K & S Heating in Rochester says as temperatures drop, it’s important to be mindful of different utilities in your home and to make sure you pay attention to them during these cold winters.

"You don’t want to end up with an emergency this time of year," Keehn said.

Whether you have a new home or an old home, there’s one thing they both do in the winter. They keep you warm.

But the difference in the homes is insulation. Brian says this is something to be aware of if you have an older home.

"They have more cracks, crevasses, ways for air to get in and out of the house, that usually make their furnace have to work harder, and the biggest thing that it affects is humidity," Keehn said.

Older homes are not built like the newer ones, and they usually need more humidity added in order for you to feel comfortable in your home, but too much can cause a problem.

"You can actually build up too much humidity from showers, from laundry, doing the dishes, watering plants, that can actually hurt your house if the humidity gets too high, because the humidity will get into the walls, can get into the attic, proper ventilation is key for that," Keehn said.

Besides having proper ventilation in your home, Brian says having a clean air filter in your furnace is key this time of year.

"Things are getting stressed this time of year when it gets down below zero," Keehn said.

Keeping your home warm is important during winter, but making sure you take care of your car is important too.

AAA suggests having a least half a tank of gas at all times. That’s in case you get stranded, but it will also prevent your gas lines from freezing.

Other tips include having a snow shovel, ice scraper, and making sure you check your tire pressure."