{"id":2196,"date":"2012-12-28T11:00:49","date_gmt":"2012-12-28T16:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/?p=2196"},"modified":"2013-09-25T11:18:06","modified_gmt":"2013-09-25T15:18:06","slug":"how-to-improve-the-effectiveness-of-your-home-caretaker-this-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/how-to-improve-the-effectiveness-of-your-home-caretaker-this-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Improve the Effectiveness of Your Caretaker This Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

The job of a home caretaker becomes a lot more difficult during the harsh winter months, especially up north where subzero temperatures, high winds, snow and ice can do serious damage.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Power outages, freezing pipes, ice dams and flooding are a few of the weather-related conditions that caretakers are expected to watch out for.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Here are some helpful tips on hiring a residential caretaker and a few clever devices (like a freeze alarm<\/a>) that can improve your caretaker\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s ability to protect your home and property while you\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2re away.\"Improve<\/p>\n

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1) \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Hire a local<\/strong> \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 It only makes sense to hire an experienced caretaker who lives locally.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 He or she will be familiar with the area, have local contacts and be readily available if there\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a problem.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Ask neighbors or real estate agents for referrals.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Word-of-mouth is often the best way to find a trustworthy caretaker.<\/p>\n

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\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a02) \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Review responsibilities<\/strong> \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 Put exactly what the caretaker\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s duties will be in writing<\/em>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0and agree on a schedule.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 A once-a-week walk-through should be the minimum.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 At each visit, ask your caretaker to walk around the outside of the house to look for exterior problems.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 He or she should also enter the house to inspect the windows, doors, plumbing and appliances and make sure the furnace and hot water heater are working properly.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Also ask him or her to look out for rodents, a common winter nuisance.\"Sensaphone<\/a><\/p>\n

To make it easier for your caretaker to monitor for water problems in leak prone areas or near appliances, consider installing flood sensors<\/a> that connect to a water shutoff valve controller<\/a> or a remote monitoring system like the Sensaphone 400 CottageSitter<\/a>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 A special washing machine shutoff valve<\/a> or a pair of automatic shutoff hoses<\/a>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0can help prevent catastrophic washing machine leaks.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Inexpensive shutoff hoses are also available for use on ice makers<\/a>, dishwashers<\/a>, toilets<\/a> and faucets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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3) \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Add an extra pair of eyes to watch for intruders<\/strong> — An outdoor video surveillance system<\/a> with night vision cameras can serve as an extra pair of eyes to watch over your property 24\/7.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Some of the newer systems allow viewing from anywhere via a smartphone or computer.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Set up your surveillance system to send alerts to both you and your caretaker.<\/p>\n

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4) \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Install a freeze alarm <\/strong>\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 A power outage or furnace failure can happen at any time (like the day after<\/em> your caretaker\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s weekly walk-through!), causing the temperature in your home to dip dangerously low.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0You can prevent a freezing pipe fiasco<\/a> by equipping your home with a freeze alarm<\/a>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If the temperature in your house drops below your set-point, the freeze alarm will notify you and\/or your caretaker of the problem.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 For homes without a landline phone or Internet service, a freeze alarm can send out alerts through a cellular terminal<\/a>.\"FreezeFlash<\/a><\/p>\n

A less expensive alternative to a freeze alarm is a low temperature alert warning light<\/a> that you place in a highly-visible window.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If the temperature drops below 30 degrees\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0F, a red flashing light will alert friends or neighbors.<\/p>\n

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5) \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Appoint your caretaker as first responder<\/strong> \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 Notify the local police that your caretaker will act as first responder in your absence.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If your home is equipped with a security system<\/a> \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 which is highly recommended for protecting any unoccupied residence \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 be sure the system is set up to send alerts to your caretaker (in addition to you) to avoid charges for excessive police responses.\"Dakota<\/a><\/p>\n

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6) \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Service your furnace <\/strong>\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 One of the easiest ways to prevent furnace failure in the winter is to have it serviced annually prior to the heating season.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If you have a hot air system, be sure to change the air filters at least once a year.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If you heat with oil, fill the oil tanks before winter begins and sign up for automatic refills with your fuel provider.<\/p>\n

Hiring a caretaker is a prudent way to protect your home and investment.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 You can help your caretaker be more effective by making sure they know your home and its systems and are aware of any past problems or trouble spots.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Installing the home monitoring devices and equipment<\/a> mentioned in this article will also help safeguard your home this winter when your caretaker isn\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t around.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The job of a home caretaker becomes a lot more difficult during the harsh winter months, especially up north where subzero temperatures, high winds, snow and ice can do serious damage.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Power outages, freezing pipes, ice dams and flooding are a few of the weather-related… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2202,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,10,9],"tags":[18,219,100,28,12,268,198,96],"class_list":["post-2196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flood-intervention","category-freeze-alarms-heat-alarms","category-home-monitoring-security","tag-cellular-freeze-alarm","tag-flood-alarm","tag-flood-prevention","tag-flood-sensor","tag-freeze-alarm","tag-low-temperature-warning-light","tag-sensaphone-400","tag-washing-machine-leaks","clearfix"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2196"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2210,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2196\/revisions\/2210"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}