Seattle isn’t known for it’s especially cold weather. However we see record lows in the winter every few years and need to plan for it to avoid emergencies. Here’s a break down of what to plan for to maintain your rented area as well as be personally prepared in case you get snowed in.

• Turn off any outdoor hose bib and insulate! Foam caps can be purchased at hardware stores for a couple dollars and really do the trick! Some people may tell you the best thing to do is leave the hose bib at a steady drip through winter, but this will result in escalated water billings so we recommend shutting things off and insulating. If your hose bib
  has an internal shut off valve you can bleed the line and turn it off further in.

•  Visually inspect any exposed water pipes and make sure they are also insulated. This means they should have a foam tube around them (looks like a black or gray pool noodle) or should be in an area where a heat source can keep the ambient temperature above 37 degrees Fahrenheit. 

• In the case of supply lines within exterior walls make sure your interior temperature is above freezing. (Examples include kitchen sinks with pipes hidden in a cabinet- open cabinet doors to allow warm air to pipes.) In cases of extreme cold – faucets can be left running temporarily at a drip from both the hot and cold supply if air circulation is difficult.
  

   

•  Keep your heat on a low setting even when you are gone from your rented area. It may seem counter intuitive but by having your heat on a minimum of 50 degrees it saves you from costly heating bills. Bringing the temperature back up from a much lower temperature takes more energy than maintaining an above freezing temperature.

• If your windows are single pane, you can purchase plastic insulation kits to tape up seasonally. They work!

• A small radiator heater is the safest way to add extra heat into any especially cold area. It must be kept away from flammable items, but on it’s lowest setting it can still really help!

• Look at your local utility company warnings for upcoming weather alerts (Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities)

• Government advisories are also a good resource for any rebates on products or access to free supplies https://www.weather.gov/media/aly/PSAs/ExtremeCold.pdf

• Have a bag of salt for icy conditions, and shovel snow off your steps or walkway rather than let it pack down into slippery conditions.

• If you do end up with a case of a broken pipe there are a few things to know: Once water thaws you will hear a hissing noise or see evidence of water in places you woudn’t normally. You can turn your water off at the supply lines or if needed at the street meter. For emergency issues regarding leaks please call us 24/7 on our emergency line 206-933-1950 ext 1