11/30/2021
It’s time again to winterize your home if you haven’t yet!
Hello Bloomington, we hope you're keeping warm out there! We wanted to leave you with a couple tips on maintaining your home during the freezing winter months. Snuggle up with a nice hot cup of cocoa or coffee & keep your mind at ease knowing your home is properly equipped to handle these brutal temperatures!
1. Make sure you are keeping your furnace set at a comfortable temperature. For most people, a comfortable indoor temperature during the winter is anywhere between 69 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit. We don't recommend setting the thermostat below 65 degrees during freezing weather (anything below 35 degrees.) NEVER turn the heat off during freezing temperatures and report any heating issues ASAP!
2. Open your cabinet doors underneath your sinks in your bathrooms & kitchen to allow the warm air inside your home to reach the pipes. (Make sure to remove anything harmful you may have stored in these cabinets if you have young children or pets!)
3. Let your sink faucets drip slowly. Running water even at a trickle will help to keep pipes from freezing.
4. If you live in a standalone home, make sure to remove your garden hose from your outdoor spigot & cover it with a Styrofoam spigot cover, rags, or paper.
5. If you have exposed water lines in your garage, make sure to keep your garage door closed!
6. Make sure you are familiar with your home/apartment's main water shutoff location & know how to use it! Water shutoff valves are usually located in utility closets, near water heaters. If you have a basement, it may be located on your water service pipeline immediately after it enters the wall.
What should you do if you encounter a frozen/burst pipe?
Shut off the water at the main as quickly as possible to minimize property damage. A burst pipe could cause tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage in mere minutes.
If you're a Tempo tenant, call our 24 hour emergency line ASAP at (812) 336-2026 (if after hours, select to be transferred to the emergency line where you'll be connected with an on-call Tempo representative!) We will send a maintenance technician out as quickly as possible to help you.
Other things you can do to de-thaw a frozen water pipe are: applying heat to the affected area using an electric hair dryer, a space heater, or an electric blanket/heating pad. NEVER use an open flame to de-thaw a frozen pipe.
Remember to take proper steps to ensure your home/apartment's safety if you are departing for a break or vacation!
WARMEST regards, the Tempo Properties team.
