Cold Weather Safety Tips

We’ll be here for you, 24/7, during the cold weather! The National Weather Service has forecast a deep freeze over the region. As the largest premiere service provider in Westchester & Putnam County, we want to make sure you have key information on staying warm through it.

Our team is ready for the storm and working around the clock to make sure that you keep safe, warm, and comfortable at home, providing oil deliveries, heating system repairs, and more!

We can install, repair, and service whole house generators to keep you safe, warm, and comfortable at home when should you lose power. Our local teams are here around the clock 24/7 to respond to your needs.

Here are a few simple tips to help keep your home safe, warm, and running smoothly throughout the winter months:

• Heating & Home Comfort

  • Keep heat flowing: Make sure vents, radiators, and baseboards are clear of furniture, rugs, and drapes so warm air can circulate efficiently throughout your home.

  • Maintain your heating system: Replace or clean air filters regularly to help your system run smoothly, improve efficiency, and reduce strain during peak winter usage.

  • Use space heaters safely: If you use space heaters, keep them at least three feet away from anything flammable and always plug them directly into a wall outlet—never an extension cord.

  • Layer up! Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing your body heat.

  • Don’t forget your furry friends. Bring pets indoors. If they can’t come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.

  • Don’t catch fire! If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

  • The kitchen is for cooking. Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.

  • Know who to call in an emergency: Keep Robison’s service number, fuel delivery information, and other important contacts easily accessible in case of a heating or comfort emergency.

• Pipe & Plumbing Protection

  • Keep water moving: During extreme cold, let faucets drip slightly to help prevent pipes from freezing.

  • Protect your pipes. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.

  • Warm exposed plumbing: Open cabinet doors on exterior walls to allow warm air to circulate around pipes.

  • Insulate vulnerable areas: Add pipe insulation in basements, crawl spaces, garages, and other unheated areas to reduce the risk of frozen or burst pipes.

  • Better safe than sorry. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.

• Home Access & Safety

  • Clear snow and ice from delivery areas: Remove snow and ice around your driveway, walkways, and fuel fill pipe area so our delivery drivers and service teams can access your home safely.

  • Improve visibility in deep snow: If you have an in-ground fuel tank, mark the fill area with a visible stake or flag to help guide delivery drivers when snow cover is high.

  • Check carbon monoxide detectors: Test alarms regularly and replace batteries as needed. Carbon monoxide risks increase during extreme cold when heating systems run more frequently.

• Power & Winter Preparedness

  • Charge devices and backup power: Before storms or extreme cold, charge phones, flashlights, battery packs, and backup generators so you’re ready if power is lost.

  • Prepare for potential outages: Keep flashlights, extra blankets, bottled water, and other essentials in an easy-to-reach location.

  • Use generators outside. Never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.

  • Knowledge is power. Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.

  • Protect your thermostat: Make sure your thermostat has fresh batteries so it continues to function properly during cold snaps.

  • Seal drafts and prevent heat loss: Check windows and doors for drafts and use weatherstripping, door sweeps, or even towels to keep warm air inside.

We’re Here When You Need Us. 24/7.

From fuel delivery and heating system repairs to generator installation and emergency service, Robison’s local teams are available 24/7 to keep your home warm, safe, and comfortable all winter long.