BRIDGETON, Mo. – Shelves are stocked with winter-weather items at Branneky Hardware in Bridgeton. The store’s storage facility is filled with pallets of ice-melting products.
“We have plenty,” said owner Tim Branneky.
The extreme cold has also shifted customer interest to items related to preventing pipes from freezing and staying warm. Faucet covers, window insulators, draft-blocking insulators, and heaters are among the popular items at Branneky right now.
AAA also expects to be busy assisting drivers in need of help in the next few days. Dead batteries are common with extremely cold temperatures.
“Your battery loses about a third of its power when temperatures drop below freezing and it only loses more power the colder,” said Nick Chabarria, AAA spokesperson.
He said when extreme cold hits during a weekend, it’s not unusual for drivers to stay at home all weekend and then discover their car battery is dead when they head back to work.
“If it’s (car battery) more than three years old, AAA recommends having it tested,” said Chabarria. “If it’s more than five years old, we go ahead and recommend replacing it so it doesn’t die when you’re somewhere you don’t want to be.”
