Tips To Avoid Disasters In Your Home This Holiday Season

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The holiday season is rife with the potential for disasters.

One example was the massive condo fire in Provo on Thanksgiving Day.

It’s not just the large-scale incidents we see, though. There are also plenty of small incidents, too.

“Every single day, there’s ice maker lines, there’s dishwasher lines, there’s washing machines,” said James McDougal with Paul Davis Restoration of Utah. “Every day those things are bursting, cracking, leaking.”

He said there is no off season in the restoration business, and it’s always tragic to see the results of preventable disasters.

There are small steps residents should be taking to avoid larger problems down the road.

“Space heaters, candles, Christmas trees, but even more dangerous than Christmas trees (are) Christmas decorations,” McDougal said. “And that, again, comes down to the electrical load and the overheating cords.”

“And cooking,” he added. “We spend a lot more time in the kitchen.”

There are some simple steps you can take to avoid fire hazards during the holidays: use LED lights, use candle warmers instead of lighting candles, and don’t overload your surge protectors.

When it comes to flooding, one of the best preventative measures to take is replacing hoses in kitchen appliances.

Officials suggest replacing the hoses on your washing machine and your ice maker with metal-braided lines. The cost is about $8.50 per hose, which is a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands of dollars you could be spending down the road if you ignore the problem.