Winterize Your Home: Inside and Out — 2026 Complete Guide
Part 19 of 22 in Winterize Your Home: Inside and Out. By Damon Fowler, Trends Kitchen & Bathroom Specialists.
A winter outage affects more than the lights. Heating controls, blower motors, sump pumps, well equipment, medical devices, and communication systems may depend on electricity. Prepare for those dependencies instead of assuming that a gas supply alone keeps the house operating.
List the loads that matter
Identify what must operate to keep people safe and protect the building. Include medical needs and any refrigerated medications, then heating, critical water systems, and communication. Have a realistic plan for staying elsewhere when the home cannot remain safely occupied.
Keep charged power banks, flashlights, suitable batteries, necessary supplies, and contact information accessible. A connected home is less useful when the router and phone batteries are dead. Know which alerts depend on internet service and whether they have backup communication.
Situation: the gas furnace has fuel but no heat
A homeowner expects the furnace to run because the gas service still works. However, the controls and blower need electricity. The same kind of assumption can affect a boiler pump, a fireplace blower, or a sump pump.
Ask the service professional to explain your equipment’s outage behavior before winter. If backup power is part of the plan, have the required loads and connection method designed for the actual equipment. Do not improvise a connection after the outage begins.
Use generators with a complete safety plan
CDC guidance calls for portable generators outdoors, at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents, with exhaust directed away from occupied buildings. Never operate one in a house, basement, garage, or enclosed porch. Maintain working CO alarms. See the CDC generator safety fact sheet.
Use appropriate weather protection and connections as the manufacturer directs. Never backfeed the house through a receptacle. A connection to building wiring needs correctly installed transfer equipment and a qualified electrician. Stop and cool the generator before refueling, following its instructions.
Protect people before the pipes
Monitor indoor conditions and the needs of vulnerable occupants. If the house cannot remain safely warm, relocate rather than rely on unsafe heaters. Use flashlights instead of creating additional fire risk with candles in busy temporary living areas.
Keep exterior doors closed as practical, but do not block required ventilation or appliance air openings. Never use an oven or grill as space heat. Review the CDC’s winter-storm guidance for personal safety considerations.
Plan the building response
If an extended outage threatens plumbing, contact the appropriate professional about your home’s systems. Turning off a main valve does not drain every pipe or make all water-dependent systems safe. Fire sprinklers, boilers, and other equipment require special consideration.
After power returns, check heating operation, accessible plumbing, sump controls, alarms, and schedules. Look for leaks as the house warms. Record any failure that exposed a weakness so the next outage has a better plan.