The holidays are a time to enjoy with family and friends. They’re about volunteering for your community, eating delicious food and celebrating the good things that happened in the last year, and yes, there were some good parts about 2016.
The last thing you want to have to worry about when getting ready to carve up the turkey is a short circuit in the twinkle lights wrapped around a dry tree in the next room or uncle Joe damaging the plumbing after consuming his third helping of stuffing. Will your homeowners insurance policy cover you in a holiday emergency? Look for an insurance plan that will when you compare home insurance quotes with CoverHound.
Don’t Overload the Electrical Outlet
Part of the magic of the holidays is pulling the decorations out of the attic and decking the house in brightly lit holiday colors. In an effort to get everything looking just right come the neighborhood lighting ceremony, you might be tempted to plug in one too many extension cords. According to the National Fire Protection Association, (NFPA) 35 percent of house fires that occur during the holidays are caused because of faulty electrical equipment and wiring. Don’t overload your circuit breaker and make sure you test each bulb of your twinkle lights before you wrap them around the tree.
Clean the Oven Before Roasting the Turkey
Who doesn’t love the smell of turkey roasting in the oven? Knowing that you’ll get to carve into the juicy meat in just a few hours’ time for the family holiday meal might be what you look forward to most about the holidays. Unfortunately, if the oven hasn’t been properly maintained, you could at best be eating a charcoal turkey come dinner time and worst a burned down kitchen.
Before cooking the turkey, thoroughly clean the oven of any food drippings or scraps left over from other meals. And to prevent an oil or grease fire when cooking the turkey, duck or goose, place a large baking sheet under the bird to catch any drippings as it cooks. If the oven should catch fire, leave the door closed and turn it off. If the fire does not extinguish itself, call the fire department. If the fire does go out, open the kitchen windows to allow the smoke from the oven to clear the room.
Shovel the Walkway
As grandma makes her way up the slippery path to your front door, watching her fall and get hurt before she reaches the last stair will send you rushing to the hospital. Avoid slippery walkways by shoveling the snow and salting the icy area. Assist your older relatives or young children to the door and make sure everyone knows the walkway is a little treacherous during the winter.
If you can, have your family use another entrance to your home (such as through the garage) that is not laden with snow or ice. Re-salt the walkway as often as necessary to prevent any slips; no one wants to spend Christmas in the emergency room.
The holidays are meant to be fun, but if anything should go wrong, make sure your homeowners insurance will cover the damages. Visit CoverHound for a free quote today.
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