Turn Your Water Off!

Just a quick reminder that if you are leaving your mountain home, please turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave.  This will prevent any leaks from frozen or broken pipes in your absence.
While it is important to turn your water off any time you leave your mountain home, it is especially important when there is a danger of freezing temperatures.  Leaks and broken pipes can and do  occur year round, but when there are freezing temperatures, it can cause pipes to freeze and break.  If your water is not turned off, this could cause a lot of problems, damage and waste a lot of water. 

Remember, you are responsible for all the water that runs through your meter, regardless of why it ran through.  So if none of the above reasons are incentive enough for you to turn your water off, then perhaps the thought of paying for water that ran and ran and ran from a leak will be.

Leaks can occur anywhere along a water line inside your house our out.  Leaks aren't always visible from the street either.  They can be underground and not visible or inside the house, where no one can see them.  We ready meters every other month, so that is generally when we find evidence of them.  However, a lot of water can be lost during that time.  We have no way to monitor the water usage at each home here in Pine Cove and unless someone sees or hears water running, leaks can sometimes go undetected for long periods of time.

Don't let this happen to you!  It only takes a minute to turn your water off and prevent all of the above problems.

Whatever your motivation, please heed our advice and turn your water off each and every time you leave your mountain home.  It is so much better to prevent a disastrous leak than to deal with one upon returning to your mountain home.

 Turn your water off at your customer valve when  you leave your mountain home!

Freezing temps

When I went out to feed my chickens this morning, their water was frozen.  It was inside their coop, so this tells me that it was pretty cold last night.  That being the case, we would like to put out this reminder to everyone because it is the single most important thing you can do to prevent broken or frozen pipes.  Please remember that any and all water that goes through your meter is your responsibility.

Please, turn off your water at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home!

Turn Off Your Water

Well folks, it is time once again to remind everyone to...

Turn off your water at your customer valve when you leave you mountain home.

Every winter people experience leaks, broken and frozen pipes and a lot of it can be prevented by one simple act.  We cannot emphasize this strongly enough.  When you leave your mountain, take a minute and turn you water off at your customer valve.  It is that easy and that simple and will save you a world of headaches, not to mention money. 

If you develop a leak or a break on your side of the meter, you will be responsible for all the water that runs through your meter and this can add up to quite a large water bill depending on the size of the break or leak and the length of time it runs.   Many people are under the misconception that if they have a leak, they do not have to pay for the water used.  This is incorrect.  If the water runs through your meter, no matter the reason, the home owner is responsible for paying for that water.  I am not sure why people think they don't have to pay for the water when they have a leak, but every time someone has a leak, we hear over and over again that they thought they didn't have to pay for the water lost. 

So please, do yourself a favor.  Just turn off your water when you leave.  That way when you come back to visit your mountain home, you won't be hit with any unpleasant surprises or bills.

If you do not know where your customer valve is or how to turn it off, please give us a call at 951-659-2675.  We would be happy to come out during regular business hours and show you where it is and how to turn it off.  It is way better to be safe than sorry and no one wants to deal with broken, frozen pipes or leaks when they come up to visit they mountain home.

Spring arrives with snow

Well, I knew the weather has been too good to be true.  As spring arrives this Sunday, they are calling for snow.    Up to 11 inches.  While the moisture is fabulous and we can certainly use all we can get, snow in the spring is just cruel and unusual punishment.   I would much prefer it to be in the form of rain, because after all April showers bring May flowers, right?  No where is there a saying about Spring Snow, but what can we do?  We just will have to deal with it and continue to suppress our urge to get outside in the garden.

I noticed some trees are flowering and budding up.  I hate to see this happen.  I always think these plants and trees will acclimate, but they never seem to.  Each year as soon as the weather gets nice, they start to grow or bloom, even if it is only February or March.  Then bam, it snows and they get frozen again.  They never seem to learn or get with the program.  The oak trees seem to be the only ones with enough sense to wait until the end of May before emerging from their long winter nap.  I don't even know if it is possible for other species of plants to acclimate to our climate.  They seem programed to spring to life after a few days of warm weather no matter when it arrives.

So, I guess all we can do is be thankful for the  moisture and take consolation in the fact that spring has to arrive sooner or later and when it does, we will be ever so grateful and excited!

Overnight Snow

The weather station has recorded .71 inches of rain for the month of February.  Last night's freezing temperatures brought some snow and a lot of ice to Pine Cove.  From what we have heard, Idyllwild, Mountain Center and Garner Valley were spared the snow part.  Lucky them!  If you have to go out, be very careful.  The roads are icy around Pine Cove.  Hopefully the sun will come out and melt off some of the ice. 

Here is the latest from the CA Dept. of Transportation.
SR 243

[IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
CHAINS OR SNOW TIRES ARE REQUIRED FROM PINE COVE TO LAKE FULMER
(RIVERSIDE CO)

So if you have to go down to Hemet or the desert, you are good to go.  If you are heading down to Banning, you will need your chains or snow tires.  Not too bad. 

The night time temperatures are expected to continue to be in the 20's for the next few nights with more snow possible tomorrow night.  With these freezing cold temps, please be sure to provide a warm, dry shelter and fresh water and food for any animals you might keep outside. 

Also remember to disconnect any outside hoses.  You can cover your outside faucets as well.  The hardware stores sell insulated covers for them for around $5. It is worth the price not to get up in the morning and have a frozen pipe.  

Please, please, please remember that if you are leaving the hill, turn your water off at your customer shut off valve.
This is the best way to prevent a broken or frozen pipe and catastrophic water loss while you are away from your mountain home.  Remember that all water that runs through your meter is your responsibility, no matter the reason.  There is a big misconception that if you have a leak or pipe break, that you will not have to pay the water bill.   This is not true, but we hear it time and time again.  It is so much easier to prevent a catastrophe than it is to repair the damage afterwards.