How things work

When you leave, please leave the keys on the kitchen table in the apartment.

Linens and towels:

You will find linens, pillows, towels and blankets in the drawers on either side of the bed, the closet, the bottom drawer, and inside the coffee table. The couch in the living room opens up into a spacious double bed. There is a mattress cover for this bed in the coffee table. Please use it. The double bed in the bedroom can be converted into two single beds. If you do separate the beds, please tie them back together when you leave.

Electrics:

Electrical current in Italy is 220 V. There is no 110 V. Computers and cell phones usually have their own transformer so may be OK to use. Should the main breaker trip, there is a panel to the left of the front door. The main breaker is located half way up the stairs. It is marked "Peppe."

Water mains:

The main water valve into the apartment is up high in the bathroom behind the door, above the radiator. If there are any water problems (such as leaks), please turn off the mains and advise Leidy and/me immediately.

Stove:

The gas stove does not have automatic ignition. While you light the burner with a match or spark from a lighter, you must push in and turn the knob and hold in that position for a few seconds. The oven is also gas. I usually lift the bottom panel to light it. The grill is electric.

Shutters:

When you leave the apartment for any length of time, please close the windows and shutters.

The Loft:

Please do not use the loft.

Washing Machine:

The washing machine is under the kitchen sink. It is a front-loading unit. Be careful when you open or close the door. The door latch is broken, but you can open the door by pressing the latch with your thumb. The door closes easily. Please DO NOT lean on the door when it is open. After use, the machine must remain off for several minutes before the door will open.

Operation:

Put the clothes in loosely and close the door gently but firmly.
Please do not overload the machine.
The dial on the extreme right governs the washing cycles. We use "4" for especially dirty clothes. A shorter wash starts at "7". Set the program dial before you turn on the machine.
The left-most round button is the on/off switch. A spy light will turn on. If the spy light blinks continuously, start all over again. Turn right hand knob to "off". Wait a few minutes. Open and close the door, making sure door is properly closed. Try again. You may have to do this several times.
The next button prevents the last rinse from draining.
The third button adds an extra rinse.
The fourth button disables the centrifuge.
The dial with the numbers 400-1000 controls the speed of the centrifuge. We usually leave this at about 850 and take the clothes out to the clothes line.
The program dial is self-evident. Never change the dial setting while the machine is running.
Wait several minutes after the washing cycle ends before trying to open the door. The door mechanism will not open immediately after the washing cycle ends.

Hot water and central heat system:

The system operates on city gas. The heater system is electronic and ignition is fully automatic. The main electric switch is on the wall to the left of the stove. The thermostat that governs the radiators is just to the left of the refrigerator.

The hot water boiler is in the corner of the kitchen.

On the front panel are three control dials and a pressure meter (E). We have found that keeping the dials B and C set at a middle position works well.

Summer use:

The control dial (A) should be in the "hot water only" position.
The switch on the thermostat (by the refrigerator) should be set to "off".

Winter use:

The control dial (A) should be in the "hot water and radiator" position.
The thermostat should be set to about 20-22 degrees and the switch can be turned on or off as needed.
The meter D indicates the temperature, and meter E, the water pressure in the system. The pressure gauge (E) needs to be between 1 and 2.
If the dial E goes below one, water should be added to the circuit by opening valve G for a few seconds until pressure is restored.
If per chance the city turns off the gas for some reason, the system will block automatically and the red light above the control dials will turn on. Pushing the button will reset the system.
The radiator in the living room has a blower that forces hot air around the living room. It will turn on automatically.
Turn on the heat system only when you need it and turn it off when you don't need it.
PLEASE TURN OFF THE HEAT WHEN YOU OPEN THE WINDOWS OR LEAVE THE APARTMENT