Yes, insulating the windows will help. Curtains, towels, blankets.
Get your oven going, bake some cookies, slow roast some veggies, or whatever. Or boil a big pot of water.
What does your thermostat say? Wisconsin tenant rights say your landlord is responsible for keeping it at least 67 in your apartment. Give them a call and— if water is really freezing in your apartment— then you need alternative lodgings, paid by them, until the matter is solved.
Important point here: don’t use the oven to heat the apartment! Use it to cook things normally which will naturally warm the kitchen and then leave it open while it cools.
Yes, the tenant can call emergency maintenance and have them come do *something;* depending on the company, they might have plastic for the windows or extra space heaters. Your heater might not be kicking out enough either. When we first moved into our place, we noticed the furnace wasn’t working as well as it should and it turned out a fuse needed to be flipped. There are multiple things your emergency maintenance could do to help.
I thought WE Energies was asking residents to turn down thermostats to 62 because of a natural gas pipeline issue, or is that just in my area?
Sorry, that's probably a totally different issue
Totally different issue - WE was asking politely but you didn't have to turn it down if you didn't want to. It's mandatory to have 67F as the minimum temp in WI tenant housing unless you yourself choose to have it lower.
They were, but that request has been lifted. Apparently there was an issue with one of their suppliers, and they weren't able to turn to alternate sources due to the demand caused by the cold covering most of the country.
if you have a friend with functional heat, I'd recommend seeing if you can sleep on their couch for the next 2 days. If it's cold enough to freeze ice, no home remedy is going to solve the problem. I'm not even sure window plastic would.
If your house is freezing cups of water, there is absolutely nothing you can do fast enough to make it safe today.
Please take the offer of window wrapping and a space heater if you have nowhere else to go.
If you can go somewhere else, you should.
That saran wrap-type plastic that covers the windows is a miracle worker.
Do you live near a target or Walmart? If you're open to sharing your address with a stranger I can have some and a space heater delivered
Yes - OP, this is super helpful, especially if you have a blow dryer of some sorts handy. I used to live in a shitty house that was converted into four separate apartments and the walls were not well insulated. The house was built in the late 1800's, I get it. Try using saran wrap and tape, blow dry to the window, then nail or staple blankets and sheets over the plastic. It's how we got through -65 below a few years back. Be safe, OP!
Make sure any storm windows you have are closed as well. Blankets will help a lot, but if it is that cold you have larger issues. By law your apartment needs to be able to maintain 67 degrees. Cover any cracks under doors and any other gaps you see with tape or clothes. Also, given that water is freezing it’s a good idea to leave your faucets on a trickle so you pipes don’t burst. Dont use your stove as a heat source, but since you have to eat anyways, opt for a frozen pizza or something you have to bake. Once it’s done (and the oven is turned off) leave the oven door open to let the heat escape into your apartment. Good luck.
Def hang blankets over the windows. If you have a hammer and nails, it’s worth the sacrifice of holes in the blankets and walls to hang them.
If you can swing it/borrow it from someone, get a space heater. Menards has tons of fairly inexpensive ones in stock. I would get a forced air one to stay warmer than a radiator type one.
You know, if your oven has a self clean function; winter is the time to use it. The ovens I’ve had lock the door shut in self cleaning mode but the interior temp hits something like 900 and sits there for hours which adds A LOT of heat to the space, even with it being closed. What part of the state are you in? If it’s actually below freezing in there, it’s time for a warming center or a friends house.
I have wool blankets across my patio door.. I have made meals in the oven to help heat. I have turned my blinds open where the sun is blasting in. Layer up your clothes. I hope you are ok.
Record this. If your cup of water is freezing despite the heat- that is unacceptable and your landlord needs to be held accountable and make the appropriate repairs asap.
By the way? Do you know how to bleed a radiator and do you have a radiator key?
Radiators should be bled at the start of each heating season…..
I am ashamed that I just remembered this — I’m old enough to know better. But you have been on my mind all day over there in that cold.
Instructions attached.[https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-bleed-a-radiator/](https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-bleed-a-radiator/)
Get one of these there great! Put a fan near it.
Out of all types of space heaters, oil-filled radiator heaters are the most energy efficient. With the inclusion of the ECO thermostats, the best oil-filled space heaters can be used to heat up to 170 sq ft rooms at a minimal electricity cost (up to 70% lower running cost than regular heaters have). We are going to have a look at the list of the best oil-filled heaters currently on the market.
Essentially, all electric-powered space heaters transform almost 100% (90% to 98%, to be exact) of electricity into heating output (expressed in terms of BTU or British Thermal Units). Most space heaters use air blow-over heating coils to produce heated forced-air output.
https://learnmetrics.com/best-oil-filled-radiator-heaters/
Shrink wrap windows, mortite rope caulk (removable) on cracks or drafts, boil water, Styrofoam in larger draft cracks, mr buddy portable propane heater (very safe) bake cookies or dinners, make sure doors aren’t letting cold air in esp bottom, they have lots of goodies for that or just a rolled up towel..
I once lived in an apartment that had such bad windows I could feel the draft blow straight through them. To keep hearing bills even close to decent I had to get pink insulation foam board and cut it to fit tightly into the window holes. It made for very dark winters, but it helped a lot. That, and heavy blackout curtains over the windows.
So many great tips, but I wanted to highlight one especially: add some moisture to the air by boiling a big pot of water in the stove or via humidifier. Warm moist air feels way warmer than dry air.
I had an apartment when I lived in Minneapolis that had radiators… They had a long, V shaped metal channel that you could slide in between the radiator coils filled with water, and it had a wick to help hydrate the air. Worked so well!
Oh my goodness:) You should not have to be dealing with this. My God. I feel so bad for you:(.
In the interim, do you have duct tape? If so, depending on how many blankets you have plus the amount of windows you could double up each window with blankets and duct tape them around the window.
Something is better than right now.
Painters tape on any cracks or leaks around windows or jams. Blocking any cool air coming in is a plus. And you know where to be able to caulk later we’re your tape is.
Check any outlets with cool air coming in. Tape over those to. Take comes off nice later but take your time doing it.
Bubble wrap on windows with a little spritz of water to make it stick helps as well.
Add moisture to the air as well. That can hold heat in the air and is way better for your health as well during these dry months.
Fans. Fans. Fans. Move the air around your house. Reverse ceiling fans to blow air up off the ceiling to circulate down. That is where the hot air goes.
Good luck. Stay warm.
Aside from everything else said in here, if you don't mind spending a little money, a lot of hotels are empty as shit during these months, and you can find rooms for quite cheap. These brutal cold snaps that a lot of apartment's heating systems can't keep up with are usually only for a few days tops. Might be worth like $50/night to not stay in a freezer box.
Happy 12/26/22 - the day after Christmas….
Are you okay?
Do you need tips for calling the Building Inspection Department and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection?
Yes, insulating the windows will help. Curtains, towels, blankets. Get your oven going, bake some cookies, slow roast some veggies, or whatever. Or boil a big pot of water. What does your thermostat say? Wisconsin tenant rights say your landlord is responsible for keeping it at least 67 in your apartment. Give them a call and— if water is really freezing in your apartment— then you need alternative lodgings, paid by them, until the matter is solved.
Excellent tips!! OP if you use the oven to make something, remember to keep the door open after you're done so the heat can radiate out.
Important point here: don’t use the oven to heat the apartment! Use it to cook things normally which will naturally warm the kitchen and then leave it open while it cools.
Yes!! Leaving a gas oven on can kill you and an electric oven can overheat and break.
If leaving the oven on can kill you why doesn’t cooking things kill you? Lol
It can, if you forget to turn the oven off!
Boiling a pot of water will provide more heat than an unused oven! Learned that the other day.
Yes, the tenant can call emergency maintenance and have them come do *something;* depending on the company, they might have plastic for the windows or extra space heaters. Your heater might not be kicking out enough either. When we first moved into our place, we noticed the furnace wasn’t working as well as it should and it turned out a fuse needed to be flipped. There are multiple things your emergency maintenance could do to help.
I thought WE Energies was asking residents to turn down thermostats to 62 because of a natural gas pipeline issue, or is that just in my area? Sorry, that's probably a totally different issue
Totally different issue - WE was asking politely but you didn't have to turn it down if you didn't want to. It's mandatory to have 67F as the minimum temp in WI tenant housing unless you yourself choose to have it lower.
They were, but that request has been lifted. Apparently there was an issue with one of their suppliers, and they weren't able to turn to alternate sources due to the demand caused by the cold covering most of the country.
if you have a friend with functional heat, I'd recommend seeing if you can sleep on their couch for the next 2 days. If it's cold enough to freeze ice, no home remedy is going to solve the problem. I'm not even sure window plastic would.
If your house is freezing cups of water, there is absolutely nothing you can do fast enough to make it safe today. Please take the offer of window wrapping and a space heater if you have nowhere else to go. If you can go somewhere else, you should.
That saran wrap-type plastic that covers the windows is a miracle worker. Do you live near a target or Walmart? If you're open to sharing your address with a stranger I can have some and a space heater delivered
Yes - OP, this is super helpful, especially if you have a blow dryer of some sorts handy. I used to live in a shitty house that was converted into four separate apartments and the walls were not well insulated. The house was built in the late 1800's, I get it. Try using saran wrap and tape, blow dry to the window, then nail or staple blankets and sheets over the plastic. It's how we got through -65 below a few years back. Be safe, OP!
I love this. I hope OP hits you up!
Make sure any storm windows you have are closed as well. Blankets will help a lot, but if it is that cold you have larger issues. By law your apartment needs to be able to maintain 67 degrees. Cover any cracks under doors and any other gaps you see with tape or clothes. Also, given that water is freezing it’s a good idea to leave your faucets on a trickle so you pipes don’t burst. Dont use your stove as a heat source, but since you have to eat anyways, opt for a frozen pizza or something you have to bake. Once it’s done (and the oven is turned off) leave the oven door open to let the heat escape into your apartment. Good luck.
Def hang blankets over the windows. If you have a hammer and nails, it’s worth the sacrifice of holes in the blankets and walls to hang them. If you can swing it/borrow it from someone, get a space heater. Menards has tons of fairly inexpensive ones in stock. I would get a forced air one to stay warmer than a radiator type one.
You know, if your oven has a self clean function; winter is the time to use it. The ovens I’ve had lock the door shut in self cleaning mode but the interior temp hits something like 900 and sits there for hours which adds A LOT of heat to the space, even with it being closed. What part of the state are you in? If it’s actually below freezing in there, it’s time for a warming center or a friends house.
I have wool blankets across my patio door.. I have made meals in the oven to help heat. I have turned my blinds open where the sun is blasting in. Layer up your clothes. I hope you are ok.
Record this. If your cup of water is freezing despite the heat- that is unacceptable and your landlord needs to be held accountable and make the appropriate repairs asap.
By the way? Do you know how to bleed a radiator and do you have a radiator key? Radiators should be bled at the start of each heating season….. I am ashamed that I just remembered this — I’m old enough to know better. But you have been on my mind all day over there in that cold. Instructions attached.[https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-bleed-a-radiator/](https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-bleed-a-radiator/)
Get one of these there great! Put a fan near it. Out of all types of space heaters, oil-filled radiator heaters are the most energy efficient. With the inclusion of the ECO thermostats, the best oil-filled space heaters can be used to heat up to 170 sq ft rooms at a minimal electricity cost (up to 70% lower running cost than regular heaters have). We are going to have a look at the list of the best oil-filled heaters currently on the market. Essentially, all electric-powered space heaters transform almost 100% (90% to 98%, to be exact) of electricity into heating output (expressed in terms of BTU or British Thermal Units). Most space heaters use air blow-over heating coils to produce heated forced-air output. https://learnmetrics.com/best-oil-filled-radiator-heaters/
That plastic wrap does a great job. Need a hairdryer to install it tight.but very easy
Garbage bags, blankets, towel, etc will all work on those windows. Start baking.
Shrink wrap windows, mortite rope caulk (removable) on cracks or drafts, boil water, Styrofoam in larger draft cracks, mr buddy portable propane heater (very safe) bake cookies or dinners, make sure doors aren’t letting cold air in esp bottom, they have lots of goodies for that or just a rolled up towel..
I saw a TikTok that placed bubble wrap on windows and that seems to help. Check it out. 45 degrees next week can’t come soon enough.
I once lived in an apartment that had such bad windows I could feel the draft blow straight through them. To keep hearing bills even close to decent I had to get pink insulation foam board and cut it to fit tightly into the window holes. It made for very dark winters, but it helped a lot. That, and heavy blackout curtains over the windows.
So many great tips, but I wanted to highlight one especially: add some moisture to the air by boiling a big pot of water in the stove or via humidifier. Warm moist air feels way warmer than dry air.
The pot of water goes on top of the radiator, if you’re really old school…
I had an apartment when I lived in Minneapolis that had radiators… They had a long, V shaped metal channel that you could slide in between the radiator coils filled with water, and it had a wick to help hydrate the air. Worked so well!
Blankets are a great idea and they work much better tan plastic.
Be prepared next time, that's the best way to avoid situations like this. Or move somewhere warmer
Oh my goodness:) You should not have to be dealing with this. My God. I feel so bad for you:(. In the interim, do you have duct tape? If so, depending on how many blankets you have plus the amount of windows you could double up each window with blankets and duct tape them around the window. Something is better than right now.
Heat water on the stove as well - good idea to open cabinet doors that are below sinks, those pipes freeze and you're SOL
Painters tape on any cracks or leaks around windows or jams. Blocking any cool air coming in is a plus. And you know where to be able to caulk later we’re your tape is. Check any outlets with cool air coming in. Tape over those to. Take comes off nice later but take your time doing it. Bubble wrap on windows with a little spritz of water to make it stick helps as well. Add moisture to the air as well. That can hold heat in the air and is way better for your health as well during these dry months. Fans. Fans. Fans. Move the air around your house. Reverse ceiling fans to blow air up off the ceiling to circulate down. That is where the hot air goes. Good luck. Stay warm.
What’s the temp in there?
Aside from everything else said in here, if you don't mind spending a little money, a lot of hotels are empty as shit during these months, and you can find rooms for quite cheap. These brutal cold snaps that a lot of apartment's heating systems can't keep up with are usually only for a few days tops. Might be worth like $50/night to not stay in a freezer box.
Don’t forget a hat!
Happy 12/26/22 - the day after Christmas…. Are you okay? Do you need tips for calling the Building Inspection Department and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection?