It's that time of the year again! If you are new to Texas and have not experienced a winter in Austin before, you may not know how quickly the weather change. One day it could be sunny, the next below freezing. Like the saying goes 'If you don't lke the weather in Texas, wait five minutes – it'll change.'

During the winter months, we ask all residents to please keep an eye out for Freeze Warning signs posted an the entrance of the community and to prepare your home for the winter weather accordingly:

• Leave all windows CLOSED.
• DO NOT turn the heat off. If you plan to leave your apartment for an extended time, please set your thermostat to 60 degrees and alert the management office that you will be away.
• Let the faucets slowly drip and open cabinet doors when temperatures fall below freezing.
• If you plan to use your fireplace, OPEN THE FLUE FIRST.
• Never leave a fire unattended. Extinguish a fire completely before going to bed.
• If you experience a water leak or a pipe has burst, please call (512) 345-8182 immediately and leave a message for our on-call emergency maintenance.

As always, if  you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to stop by or call our office.

The post Cold Weather Preparation appeared first on Westdale Creek Blog.

• Be sure to set your air conditioner to 'AUTO' and not fan.
• Raise the temperature a few degrees higher. Each degree below 78 degrees can increase your energy consumption 3-4%!
• Invest in a box fan or use your ceiling fan. Fans can make you feel a few degrees cooler, using less energy and save you a lot of money.
• If you use the fan, make sure it is spinning the right direction. Your fan should be spinning counter-clockwise during the hotter months because it pushes the air down instead of up (during the winter).
• Change the filter every 30 days! Dirty filters can make your air conditioner work harder. Place a work order online or stop by at the office to say hello and pick up new air filter!
• Air Conditioner not working after the office closes? For after-hour maintenance emergencies, call (512) 345-8653 to leave a voicemail for our on-call maintenance staff.

The post Air Conditioner Tips appeared first on Westdale Creek Blog.

• Use trash cans with lids, if possible.
• Clean up or vacuum food leftovers and crumbs on the floor.
• Put away any fresh food that is left out on counters (such as fruit, breads, etc…)
• Notify the office if you there are any unsealed points of entry into your home.
  Check areas like:
  • underneath your sinks
  • base of the toilet bowl and pipes
  • main entrance door and patio door
  • light fixtures in the patio or breezeway
     
• Never leave any food outside on your balcony. 
• Do not hang bird feeders. Not only does it attract birds, it will attract unwanted pests!
• Take your trash out to the dumpster immediately. Leaving trash, even for a moment, by your door, may attracts all hungry little pests!
• Be pro-active! As soon as you start noticing too many of these critters, submit a work order for rodent issues.  All in-home pest control requests are fulfilled on Wednesdays.

The post How to Prevent Unwanted Guests in Your Home (Rodent or Pest Prevention) appeared first on Westdale Creek Blog.

Non-Emergency Maintenance Issues

Routine maintenance are issues that do not require immediate attention and can be handled during normal maintenance hours. Some examples are:

• Dripping water faucets
• Ice maker not working
• Stove burner won't heat up

These issues may require a few days before a maintenance professional is able to schedule a visit to your home without it endangering your health or potentially damaging your apartment. These types of requests can be submitted by phone to the office, by email or on the Westdale Residents Portal.

High-Priority Maintenance Issues

If there is a maintenance issue that requires expedited attention, but not immediate attention, it is considered a high-priority maintenance issue. These high-priority issues receive first priority over non-emergency issues and are usually done during regular maintenance hours. Please contact the office by phone immediately to place a maintenance issue request. High-Priority Issues are and not limited to:

• Air Conditioning not working
• Plumbing Leak
• Animal Control assistance (when wild animal enters your home)
• Locked out of your apartment

Emergency Maintenance Issues

Emergency maintenance are issues that require immediate attention for the safety of the occupants, the property and your belongings. Please do not submit an emergency maintenance request online or by email. Contact the office by phone immediately during business hours or follow the prompts to leave a message on our After-Hours Maintenance Voicemail Box. One our of on-site maintenance staff members will be in contact with you shortly after receiving the call to get more information about your situation. The After-Hours Maintanance member will visit your home as quickly as possible if:

• No Air Conditioning in the Apartment
  As stated in the Lease Agreement: if a request for air conditioning maintenance is made when the outside temperature at least 90 degrees, it is considered an emergency request. If it is below 90 degrees, it will be considered a high-priority request and will be fixed the following day.
• Major Flooding
  Flooding may happen, even if the source does not start in your home. Before calling the after-hours maintenance number, make sure to move all possessions out of harms way and turn off the water valve to stop to flow of water. 
• Refridgerator not working
  Refrain from opening the refridgerator door should it stop working in the middle of the night. Usually the cold air will stay for a few hours.
• Window or Door Locks Malfunction
  Door Lock Malfunction does not include a lock out of the apartment. Should you be in a situation where you accidently lock yourself out of your home during after-hours, please contact a locksmith at your own expense.
• Clogged Toilet (if only one is in unit)
  If there is only one bathroom and the toilet becomes clogged in the home, it is considered an Emergency Maintenance issue. If there is a second toilet in the unit, please refrain from using the clogged toilet. The maintenance team will consider this as a high-priority maintenance issue and will expedite the request.
• Fire in the unit/building
  Should there be a fire in your home or see a fire happen near the community, call 911 first! Then alert the maintenance department about this issue.

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