Winter weather is upon us. Please refer to the information below. We are expecting higher than normal service call volume, and these helpful hints will insure that you will remain warm and cozy throughout the expected winter storm!
If you lease a home from us, and you have a service emergency, we are only a phone call away. Our emergency rental service line is monitored 24 hours a day. Call us at 417.667.7868 anytime if you are experiencing a rental emergency.
Inside the house
- Keep your house heated to a minimum of 65 degrees. The temperature inside the walls where the pipes are located is substantially colder than the walls themselves. A temperature lower than 65 degrees might not keep the inside walls from freezing.
- Check the location for the main water shutoff in your home. And refresh your memory on—or learn—how it works, in case you have to use it.
- Open hot and cold faucets enough to let them drip slowly. In severely frigid temperatures, keeping water moving within the pipes will help prevent freezing.
- Check that fireplaces, wood stoves and electric heaters are working properly. Make sure there are no combustible items near the heat sources and watch them closely, especially the first time in the season you use them.
- Keep your fireplace flue closed when you’re not using it.
- Leave your bathroom vanity cabinet, and kitchen sink cabinet open. Leaving water based appliance cabinets open allow warm air to circulate around plumbing supply lines, reducing the risk of a freeze up.
- Ask a neighbor to check the house regularly any time you’re away. If pipes freeze or if there’s a water leak, quick action could mean far less damage. If you plan to be away for an extended period of time, please notify us.
Outside the house
The weight of snow could damage your roof. Backed-up gutters might allow water to seep into your house. Vigilance is key during severe weather—stay ahead of the potential hazards outside your home.
- Keep sidewalks and entrances to your home free from snow and ice. You don’t want anyone to slip and fall.
- Watch for ice dams near gutter downspouts. Ice dams can cause water to build up and seep into your house.
- Remove garden hoses from home if attached. Attached hoses cause fixture damage in extreme cold–this can result in flooding, and water service interruption.
- Confirm foundation vents are closed. Foundation vents should be left open in the spring and closed in late fall. Open foundation vents in the winter cause supply lines to freeze and break.
- Keep your garage doors closed. This will prevent weather damage to whatever’s stored in there. Plus, if your garage is attached to your house, the home entrance door from the garage is probably not as well insulated as an exterior door so this will keep more heat in.
- Double check for dead, damaged or dangerous tree branches and have them removed. Even if they looked sound earlier in the year, trees can be affected by ice, snow or wind. When stressed, branches can fall and damage your house or car, or injure someone on or near your property.
In the event of a problem
Sometimes the unfortunate happens—but quick action can minimize the damage. Call our rental emergency line at 417.667.7868 if you are experiencing difficulty.
- Don’t wait for frozen pipes to burst. If your pipes are frozen, take measures to thaw them immediately, and call us immediately.
- If your pipes burst, first turn off the water. You know now where the main water shut off is, right? Cut off the flow, then attend to the mess and …If you don’t know where your water shut off is, and you are one of our tenants, please give us a call!