Keeping Your House Safe During Extreme Cold Spells

When temperatures dip into the single digits and the wind chill makes it feel like 10 below zero, pipes freeze and burst easily.

Cosigners, we ask your help in keeping your students and their houses safe and in good condition!

In the event of a house emergency, call our office: 401.783.1155 and press #. Call 911 if you deem it a more serious emergency.

Do not use candles if there is a power outage! Charge your phones and use flashlights.

To prevent freezing pipes, you must:

• Leave ALL thermostats on and turn them up to at least 60 degrees
• Confirm that you have at least 1/4 tank of oil or propane (if your house is heated by either of these)
• If your house has electric heat, make sure the baseboards are free and not covered by fabric, bedding, papers, etc.!
• In all sinks and showers in the house, leave the water on a trickle for the severely cold days
• Good idea to do laundry or run the dishwasher late in the evening to keep water flowing
• Leave bedroom & bathroom doors open
• Leave the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors under the sink open
• Make sure all windows are tightly closed
• Do not sit in your cars with the engine running for any length of time without open windows
• Please follow the above instructions for the remaining winter months! Low temperatures multiple days in a row is a perfect environment for pipes to freeze and burst!