Safety Tips For Closing The Cottage For Winter

As the air becomes crisp and leaves fall to the ground, there are several things for cottagers to remember when closing up for the winter season.

 

To ensure a smoother, safer start-up when re-opening come spring, Hydro One has some important things to check off your list this fall.

 

• Turn off all major appliances, your water heater, and electrical room heaters before you turn off the main switch.

 

If you decide to leave your electricity on to operate a security system or lighting, you should:

 

• Turn off the power supply to your major appliances at the main panel.

 

• Turn off the power supply to any space heaters. Otherwise, they may turn on during cold weather.

 

Here are some other helpful tips to follow before locking up for the season:

 

• Drain the plumbing system to prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting.

 

• Drain your water tank. Remember to turn off the power supply to the water heater before draining the tank to avoid damage to the heating element.

 

• Clean out the fridge and leave the door ajar to keep it smelling fresh.

 

• Make sure your fireplace damper is shut tightly to prevent animals from getting in.

 

If you are trimming tree branches, don’t come close to or touch power lines yourself or with equipment. Touching or even going near a hydro wire with equipment could cause serious injury or death. Even touching the equipment that contacts a line could be tragically harmful. Also make sure that branches won’t fall onto a lower power line. Tree contact with power lines accounts for 30 per cent of power outages in Ontario.

 

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