As the warmer Annapolis summer days give way to crisper starts and ends in fall, colder weather and freezing temperatures are just around the corner, so now is a great time to prepare your rental home for colder temperatures. Below are some things you can do now before it the temperatures drop below freezing.
When water freezes, it expands, this can cause pipes to burst and cause serious flood issues.
- Outside hose bibs:
- Disconnect all hoses and attachment
- Shut off the water supply
- Leave the faucet open to ensure all the water drains out
- Yard:
- If you have a yard, then will likely have leaves to pick up if you don’t let the leaf fall build up and they are dry; an easy way to manage leaves is just to use a lawn mower to mulch them instead of raking and bagging them
- If you have a lawn sprinkler system, it is essential that this is professionally winterized before the temperatures drop and the pipes freeze
- Gutters and drains:
- Ensure that the gutters and downspouts are free from leaves and debris, so rain and melting snow can flow freely away from the home
- Keep all stairwell drains clear and ensure they are not blocked by leaves
- HVAC system:
- Before it gets too cold, check that your heating works
- If you have oil-fueled heat, check that your tank has oil and get on a regular delivery schedule with an oil provider
- Change your HVAC filter. This will allow your system to run more efficiently and reduce your utility costs
Finally, if you are heading out of town and the nighttime temperatures are consistently dropping below freezing, even if it’s for just a couple of nights, please do the following:
- Keep the heat on with the thermostat set to at least 55
- Open any cupboard doors under the sink, to allow the heat to get to any supply pipes
- If in a single-family home and you are going out of town for a period of time, shut off the main water supply
- If you are going to be away for an extended period of time let APS know so we can periodically check on the property
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