Subject: Preparing for Winter – OTHER STEPS TO TAKE
Hello Queen’s Landing Residents!
Previously I sent out the reminder regarding water to hose bibs needing to be turned off by November 1. This is a follow up for Other Steps to Take to prepare for winter…
- A trickle of hot and cold water might be all it takes to keep your pipes from freezing. During frigid temperatures let warm water drip overnight, preferably from a faucet on an outside wall.
- Keep your thermostat set at the same temperature during both day and night. You might be in the habit of turning down the heat when you’re asleep, but further drops in the temperature—more common overnight—could catch you off guard and freeze your pipes.
- Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un-insulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.
- If you have a condo that has a garage, be sure to keep the garage doors closed. The door from the garage to inside the condo is probably not as well insulated as an exterior door.
If you are going to be out of town…
- Make sure that the thermostat in your house is set no lower than 55°F (12°C).
- Ask a friend or neighbor to check your house daily to make sure it’s warm enough to prevent freezing and that nothing has frozen or burst.
- Shut off and drain the water system. If you have a fire protection sprinkler system in your house DO NOT shut that portion of the water system off. There is a separate valve for the fire suppression system which MUST BE LEFT ON! If you need assistance with this, please contact the office.
If your pipes do freeze…
What if your pipes still freeze, despite your best preventive measures? First step: Don’t panic. Just because they’re frozen doesn’t mean they’ve already burst. Here’s what you can do:
If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on, turn off the main water supply (If you have a fire protection sprinkler system in your house DO NOT shut that portion of the water system off. There is a separate valve for the fire suppression system which MUST BE LEFT ON!) and call a plumber. The number for two plumbers that have done work in Queen’s Landing are included at the bottom of this notice.
If your water pipes have already burst, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve in the house; leave the water faucets turned on and contact the office if during office hours or the emergency number if after hours (both numbers are listed below) and remember that owners are responsible for the first $10,000 of damage so you will want to contact your insurance company.
If you have a maintenance emergency during business hours, please contact the office immediately at 410-643-5192 or if it is after hours, please call the Tidewater After Hours Maintenance Emergency Number at 443-548-0191.
Unit Access - Please make sure you have provided a working key to the management office for your unit in case emergency access is needed. Also, have you thought about installing a smart keyless door lock? These start at around $119 and allow you the ability to easily change the code or provide temporary codes as well as the ability to unlock the door via voice command (pin access, still).
As always, if you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to contact the management office by using the contact information below.
Thank you,
Tammy Eaton
On-Site Community Association Manager
www.tidewaterproperty.com
Queen’s Landing CUO
500 Queen’s Landing Drive
Chester, MD 21619
[email protected]
O: 410-643-5192