As we’ve been experiencing some cold weather in many of the areas in which we have properties, it’s time to take a few minutes to review our policies and practices for cold weather preparedness. As with so many things in life, and ounce of prevention is worth a pound of medicine. Or is that a ton of cure? Either way, preparing for cold weather is much more effective than responding to an emergency situation caused by the cold.
So, without further ado, let’s talk about preparing for cold weather.
To begin, please remember that our position is that we do not use ice melt products of any kind. As effective as they can be at melting ice, this is one of those instances in which we believe the cons outweigh the pros. These products can be damaging to sidewalks, surrounding vegetation, the environment, and carpeting, when it’s tracked inside a unit. Although many manufacturers claim that their products are safe to use, both for the sidewalk itself and for the environment, when pressed, we have not been able to get a manufacturer to put that claim in the form of a written guarantee.
So, what do we do instead?
Well, since we feel it is in the best interest of our properties, all sites are asked to use sand and/or pea gravel and physical snow removal as the primary and only means of combating icy and snowy sidewalks and stairwells. Now that the weather has turned colder in most areas, you should all make sure you’re properly stocked with sand and gravel. Bags can be purchased at your local Home Depot, and your property’s landscaper or snow removal company can often times deliver a larger amount of sand if you need more than a few bags. If you have the means to store a supply of sand or pea gravel in several locations around your property, it is always helpful to do so, as this way you’re not dragging heavy buckets of sand from one area to the next. Many sites use a standard Rubbermaid 32 gallon garbage can stored in an inconspicuous location to store the sand until it is needed.
As most of us are aware, freezing temperatures wreak havoc on plumbing systems. One of the unique properties of water is that it is one of the rare substances that actually expands as it freezes. This means the pipes that supply water to each of the fixtures in our buildings are at risk of becoming cold enough that the water inside will freeze. When this happens, the pressure of the water expanding inside the pipe can have enough strength to actually burst it open. When the temperature warms up a bit, the frozen water thaws, causing water to gush out of the burst part of the pipe. Pipes that run along exterior walls are most vulnerable, but remember, often pipes run in the attic and under the building, too. As much as we try to prevent burst pipes, it happens every year at one or more of our properties. Fortunately, there are things each of us can do to help prevent this.
Install styrofoam covers over your hose bibbs. These are available at your local Home Depot, and are an inexpensive way to help insure against frozen pipes. It’s recommended to install these on every hose bibb, even those that are frost free.
Also, make sure all of your foundation vents are covered. Some have little flaps that you can close, others need to be covered with styrofoam inserts. Both the prefabricated inserts and sheets of styrofoam that can be cut to size can be purchased at your nearest Home Depot.
Turn up the heat in vacant units, not too high, but not below 55 degrees. Open up the cabinets under the kitchen and bath sinks. If the temperatures gets below freezing, leaving both the hot and cold water running at a trickle can help keep the pipes from freezing.
Deliver “Freeze Warning” notices to each of your residents to help them understand what they can do to prevent freezing pipes in their units. This, in turn, will help reduce the chance of frozen pipes.
For those of you with pools, please make sure your pool pump is circulating 24 hours per day. When water is circulating in the system, it greatly reduces the chances of the water freezing.
Please make sure your shops are stocked with extra heaters, thermostats, and parts to repair heaters. If a resident reports an issue with the heat in their unit, it is considered a priority during cold weather. Make sure to address any report of a heater not working on a same day basis. It’s also a good idea to have a small quantity of radiant heaters, which are available at The Home Depot, to put in a unit that has a heating problem that cannot be fixed immediately.
Make sure all on call maintenance personnel are mindful of the potential of this type of situation, and if you do suffer a no heat call or a frozen pipe, act immediately. A burst pipe can put forth water at an alarming rate, so be prepared to handle the emergency. Make sure your site has extra plumbing parts on hand, and keep the number for a plumber nearby, as well as a carpet extractor, in case they’re needed.
And, last but not least, be careful. Slips and falls on ice are a very real danger. We have coworkers that are injured every year by falling on the ice and snow, and we want to make sure to minimize the chance of this happening. So, be mindful of your step when you’re outside during snowy or icy weather. It sound cliché, but our employees are truly Cambridge’s most important asset, and we don’t want anyone to get hurt. So, please be careful out there.
And if any of you have any questions about any of this, please don’t hesitate to contact your supervisor.
