VSR Winter Hints

Some years ago Tom Barry came up with a list of hints to help us get through the winter season at the Village at Stone Ridge. These include:

• Change batteries in smoke alarms, thermostats, and garage door openers.
• Shut off water valves in the basement to the outside faucets, then open the outside faucets halfway to prevent freezing. Disconnect your garden hoses from the outside faucets.
• Make sure your outside heat exhaust pipe doesn’t get buried in snow drifts. That would shut down your furnace.
• Replace or clean (if permanent) the filter in your furnace since the heating season is starting.
• On snowstorm nights, consider leaving your outside lights on so the people doing snow plowing and shoveling can see.
• Consider keeping a small can of sand in your garage in case there is ice on your driveway or walkway. You can take sand from the barrels placed around the Village by Morin.
• As always, but especially in winter, do not park cars overnight on any streets in the Village.
• If you park a car in the driveway, move it when snow plow does the driveways.
• If any fence post lights or street lights are out, notify Larry Anzivino.
• Removing your window screens for the winter lets more natural light in and can protect them from winter damage.
• If you cover your outside air conditioner condenser to protect it from the snow, you should shut off the circuit breaker marked “A/C” in your circuit breaker box to prevent accidental starting of your air conditioner unit.

If you leave your condominium seasonally, or for any extended period of time:

• WATER: It is wise to turn off the water at the main valve while you are gone. At the same time, the hot water tank temperature setting can be reduced to its lowest level to avoid possible overheating. When you return, reset the temperature and slowly turn the water back on while listening for any running water, for this may indicate a rupture or leak occurred while you were absent, and a flood will be avoided.
• HEAT: It is crucial that you maintain the thermostat setting in your unit above 60 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. While it is important to save energy, many times the reduced heat is low enough to freeze a pipe or fire sprinkler, just enough to cause a rupture. The cost of a few dollars in an energy bill in the hard winter months is a sound investment when compared to a flooded unit.
• You should leave your bathroom vanity doors open while you’re away, to allow heat to keep the sink pipes warm, especially if the sink is on an outside wall.