Clean your gutters: Make sure water can flow freely through your gutters to avoid icicles and ice dams.
Change your ceiling fans clockwise to force hot air at the ceiling towards the floor.
Replacing the filters in your forced heating unit improves the efficiency of your unit.
Window insulation film can help keep heat from escaping out your windows.
Placing a rolled towel at the bottom of your exterior door or a draft guard prevents heat from leaking out.
To prevent damage, it is just as important to winterize your vacant home. Turning your water off, unplug appliances such as microwaves and toasters to prevent faulty switches.
Inspect your home for any openings where animals could use to get inside. Make sure your fireplace flue or damper is closed, as bats, birds and squirrels are known to get inside this way.
It is wise to communicate with a trusted friend or neighbor that your will be gone for a prolonged period of time and they have your contact information. Taking these steps can help protect your home from theft, water damage, and heating or electrical system issues while you are away for an extended period of time. Bundle the house up tight!!
As winter approaches it is important to winter-proof your vehicle and fleet can help keep it running its best so you, your workers, and fleet drivers can safely navigate the roads no matter the weather. Sometimes a winter storm can disrupt even the best laid plans, so check out the eight handy tips below for what to do if your vehicle or truck gets stuck in the snow:
Tip 1: Rock your vehicle instead of spinning your tires
If you’re stuck in the snow, your first instinct may be to press the gas hoping to gain momentum and become unstuck. This could make your tires spin, causing friction that may melt and pack snow, creating an icier, slicker surface—making it even harder to escape. Instead, put your vehicle in low gear and press the gas slightly to rock forward just a bit, then put the vehicle in reverse to rock backward. By repeating this rocking motion, you may gain enough momentum to help propel your vehicle out of the snow.
Tip 2: Shift to a lower gear
This tip pairs well with the rocking method. If possible, shift into a lower gear. For a manual transmission, this means first gear. For an automatic transmission, this means shifting from D (drive) to L or 1 (low or first gear) or 2 (second gear). This slows down the rotation of your tires, which decreases the likelihood of spinning and ice formation through melting.
Tip 3: Gain traction
If the rocking motion and using low gears are unsuccessful, you may need additional help gaining traction. Give your tires something to grab onto, such as your vehicle’s floor mats—or dry cardboard if you have some handy—and then try the rocking process again. Sprinkling cat litter or sand around the tires may also provide traction.
Tip 4: Watch where you park and keep moving
The best advice for getting unstuck is not to get stuck in the first place. If you drive a fleet vehicle or larger rig, you may find yourself parking in unfamiliar places for hours at a time. During snowy and icy weather, pay attention to where you park, avoiding muddy, slushy or soft ground when possible. If you will be at one location for several hours while wintry precipitation is falling or during frigid temperatures, move your vehicle frequently. This makes it less likely for snow and ice to accumulate around tires.
Tip 5: Start shoveling
Stock your vehicle with a snow shovel or pusher to clear a path around the wheels so you can move forward and back. If you don’t have a shovel, look for another tool that can help break up the snow and any ice that has formed such as a screwdriver or an ice scraper. Chopping up the ice can create a rougher surface, giving you more traction.
Tip 6: Add tire chains
If you regularly drive on snow-covered or icy roads, it may be a good idea to install tire chains. These chains fit around the tires of your vehicle and can help them navigate slippery surfaces.
Tip 7: Deflate tires slightly
Another option is to slightly deflate your tires. A flatter tire has more gripping surface and could provide the traction you need to get out of the snow. Only use this option if it’s a short drive to an air filling station. Driving long distances on deflated tires may cause structural damage to the tire and make steering difficult due to the increased surface area on the road.
Tip 8: Phone a friend—or a towing service
If you’ve given your best effort and still can’t get your vehicle out of the snow, it may be time to call for assistance. If it’s safe for drivers to be on the road, call a friend or coworker to pick you up. If the roads are unsafe, call for emergency assistance or for a towing service to transport you and your vehicle somewhere safe.
Once out of the snow, if you deflated your tires head to the nearest service station. Return any snow shovels, ice scrapers and tire chains to the vehicle. Restock any depleted supplies, such as ice melt or cat litter, that may be needed for the next snow or ice event.
If you must be outside in cold weather, make sure to familiarize yourself and your driving team with how to avoid frostbite, hypothermia and other cold-related injuries.
A water leak, planned work on your sprinkler system, venturing away from home, or an emergency may necessitate turning off the water to your home. Do you, and everyone in your household, know how to turn off the water to your home? The information below guides you on locating and turning off your water by utilizing the “house valve” aka “customer valve.”
Locating your house valve
Your house valve is typically outside your home and may be located in the front, on the side or in the backyard.
Locate the hose bib (outside faucet) next to your home that is mounted on a pipe coming up from the ground. (See Photo)
The house valve is located on that pipe between the ground and the hose bib.
Operating your house valve
Your house valve can be one of two types: a gate valve or a ball valve.
Gate valves close by turning the wheel clockwise until the water is off.
Ball valves close by turning the straight handle a quarter turn clockwise until the water if off.
To verify the water is off, turn on the hose bib next to the house valve. As you turn the house valve off, the water from the hose bib should stop.
To turn the water back on, either turn the gate valve counterclockwise or turn the ball valve a quarter turn counterclockwise.
You may want to attach a tag or label to your house valve for quick identification so that you and the members of your household can find it even in the dark.
Everyone in your home should know how to shut off the water to your home. In the event of an emergency, such as an earthquake or an unexpected winter freeze, you may want to turn off the water supply to your home to prevent water damage to your property. Take a few minutes to locate and learn how to operate your house valve.
October billing (due November 1, 2024) is going out. If you get emailed bills, you may have already received yours. The mailing included our updated Newsletter which you can view here, as well as Winterizing tips which you can read about here.
The bi-monthly minimum is $80.00 for two month billing period, excluding any water usage. Water usage is billed as follows: $8.00 per thousand gallons from 0 to 7,500 gallons $10.00 per thousand gallons from 7,500 to 15,000 gallons $12.00 per thousand gallons over 15,000
(Because we weren’t able to read meters last billing cycle due to snow, the gallons of usage is doubled in this billing period.)
Water bills are mailed around the 1st of the Billing Month (even months). All bills are due and payable by the 1st of the following month (odd months). Any bill not paid by the due date will be termed delinquent and subject to a $15.00 late fee and/or termination. If shut off, a reconnect fee of $75.00 will be charged, in addition to the current amount due, to re-establish service.
There are several ways to pay your bill.ACH Auto Draft is a free service; the payment is automatically taken out of your bank account (filled out form required). You can log on to your account online, and pay with a Visa/Mastercard/Discover, or E-check. To register your account online, you will need your account number, and the Municipality Code which is PineCoveWDCA. Go to www.pcwd.org and click the “Billing” tab and the Payment option link. Next, click on the www.ub-pay.com link and register your account from there. You can come into the office and pay by check, cash, or card (one person at a time). Call with a credit/debit card (Please note that there is a convenience fee of $3.00 per hundred dollars charged if using a credit card). Drop payments thru the slot on the front door or mail a check or money order.
If you need any help this season clearing your road, driveway, or walkway please refer to our communities updated 2024 list, provided by Marsha Kennedy. If you do not get an answer right away, please leave a message as these individuals may be in between projects as you contact them.
Thank you James Ingram for the beautiful picture here at PCWD. We are embracing the chill & enjoying the views!
Quick Reminder: If you are leaving your mountain home, be sure to turn off the customer valve and empty all the drains.
If you don’t know where your customer shut off valve is at the street, please call during normal business hours to waive a service fee and we’ll guide you. If you call after hours, there will be a fee starting at $15. An emergency leak or busted pipe call after hours could incur a fee starting at $50.
If you notice any leaks, call us immediately. Upon confirmation of the leak you could receive a $25 gift card to a restaurant in town.
Regular Office Hours: 9am – 4pm; 951-659-2675 After Hours Emergency Line 951-294-8282
Frozen pipes can leave you without water in the worst of weather, and could cost a lot to repair. However, with a few simple steps, you can easily preserve both your budget and your peace of mind!
Before the cold weather sets in:
Check sprinkler or irrigation systems. Make sure everything is turned off and drained.
Eliminate sources of cold air near water lines. Fix drafty windows and plug drafts around doors. Identify your home’s freezing points.
Know how to shut off your water. If you do not know how to turn off your water give us a call we’d love to help you out!
Protect your pipes. Wrap them with insulation.
When temperatures stay below freezing:
If pipes run through cabinets or vanities open the doors to let warmer room temperatures flow in.
Keep water moving through the pipes by allowing a small trickle of water to run.
But if your pipes do freeze:
Shut off the water immediately.
Thaw pipes with warm air, with a hair dryer or space heater. Do not leave space heaters unattended and do not use kerosene heaters or open flames.
Be careful turning water back on. Once pipes are thawed, slowly turn the water back on and check pipes and joints for any cracks.
As we are heading into our winter season, here are some helpful driving tips to keep you safe during your travels:
Take your time and slow down!
Download Quickmap for road conditions.
Check your oil and tire pressure.
Make sure your phone is fully charged.
Make sure you have a full tank of gas or your EV is fully charged.
Make sure those windshield wipers are in good condition.
If you have your windshield wipers on, turn on your headlights but not your high beams.
Try not to travel during inclement weather, if able!
If you see the roads being plowed, stay away from the trucks. They are working on clearing the roadway to keep you safe!
If you are traveling up to the mountains, BRING YOUR CHAINS – If instructed you will need to put them on at chain installation locations. Also, do not use your emergency flashers – this causes confusion to other drivers and emergency responders.
Pine Cove residents can pick up free sandbags during office hours. There is a limit of 10 bags per household, as we want to ensure there are enough bags for everyone. The sandbags DO NOT come pre-filled, so please bring a shovel, or come to the office to conveniently borrow our scooper!
If you have any questions, please contact the office at 951-659-2675
Pine Cove Water District would like to wish all our residents a very happy holiday season! Next week the office will be closed in observance of Christmas on Monday the 25th and Tuesday the 26th. If you would like to make a payment while we are closed you can do so online through our webpage or drop it though the office door slot. We will return in the office Wednesday morning at 9am to assist with anything needed. If you have a water emergency throughout this time, like a burst pipe or leak please call the on call emergency line (951) 294-8282
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