Here's a little tidbit of information for the lucky people
who can get away during the cold days of winter.

There are many different ways and forms of alarms
to protect  your home in winter.  They range from very
inexpensive units to sophisticated alarms monitored
by a security company.

One very inexpensive devise is called a freeze alarm.
If you have a neighbor that is a friend and can see
your home from his home, this can give you some
protection.  It is a simple unit that you plug into an
outlet.  I know of one person who hangs a  string
of Christmas lights in the window and plugs them
into  the alarm.  When the temperature drops
below the setting, the Christmas lights go on,
alerting the neighbor to take action.  Some of
the hardware and big box stores carry these
units.

Some devices attach to a telephone and will call
one or more numbers when the temperature in
the home drops.  Most security systems have an
option for a temperature alarm.  They can call
the owner or designated party, who notifies us
so we can respond to the no heat call.

Another option is to winterize your home if you
are leaving for an extended time.  A plumber
must perform this task.  This process has its
advantages and disadvantages which I am not
going to address in this article.

Rick