Monday 22 December 2014

Winter Tips 2014


With the festive period fast approaching we want to make sure you are ready for the winter weather if you are staying in your property or away for the Christmas break. We thought we would share our Winter Hints and Tips with you, if you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact your local branch.

HINTS AND TIPS


Heating
Important - Stay warm and save money by keeping your heating on low and constant, keeping the thermostat between 18 degrees Celsius and 21 degrees Celsius where possible. It is very important that you keep the property warm, especially if you are away for the festive period, as pipes can freeze during the winter and the water damage can be extensive. Move furniture away from your radiators and heaters to allow heat to circulate. Stop draughts in their tracks; keep doors closed, blinds or curtains closed and use draught excluders.

Pipes
To ensure pipes do not freeze, keep your central heating system on constant at the frost setting or at least 10 degrees or refer to the tips on heating above.

Water
Make sure you are aware of the location of the water stop cock in case of an emergency such as a burst pipe. Make sure you are aware of how to turn the water off in such a case. On some occasions, the water should be turned off at the stop cock if you are away from the property for a prolonged period of time. However please seek the advice of your property manager before shutting off the water; this is only carried out in certain circumstances or if the property is vacant for more than 30 days or so to comply with your landlord’s insurance policy.

Condensation
Make full use of extractor fans and hoods, do not dry clothes on radiators, use the washer dryer if you have one or a clothes airier.

Mould
Minimise the content of moisture in the air of your property by keeping heating on at low and opening your windows as much as possible to ventilate the rooms. Wipe and remove any condensation regularly. Remove mould or traces of water droplets turning black by using an anti-fungicidal wash with clean cloth, so it doesn’t spread. This is important as moisture or build up of water droplets can damage decoration, especially in the bathroom.

Weather Warnings
Stay weather aware by following the Met Office on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube. You can also sign up for severe weather alerts through their Twitter Alerts programme providing updates to your phone. To find out more about how to sign up for Met Office Twitter alerts.

Emergency – Out of hours
You can call our ‘Out of Hours Emergency Line’ on 0131 220 6360. If you are transferred to voicemail, please leave a message stating your name, address, contact details and brief details of your emergency. Please only call this number in cases of an “emergency only”; an emergency is defined as an urgent matter that cannot wait until the next working day such as damage to the property or a safety issue for tenant.

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