Summer Home Maintenance Tips

- Check your toilets for erosion of plastic floater valves and pipe connections
- Clean and/or replace your furnace filter
- Check washing machine hoses for cracks and bulges, replacing as necessary
- Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct and space under the dryer
- Wash and clean lint screen on dryer to eliminate fabric softener build-up
- Clean garbage disposal using ice cubes, lemon juice and running water for one minute

Air Conditioner Maintenance Explained

Your home’s heating and cooling systems should give you many years of service with proper maintenance. Preventive maintenance will lower your energy costs, prevent costly repairs and prolong the life of your systems. Don't wait for summer's full heat to check your system, if you need service, you will have to wait a lot longer. Regular maintenance will ensure that your system is ready to heat and cool your home when needed. Most heating and cooling systems should be serviced once a year by a professional heating or cooling contractor. The professional contractor has the tools, instruments and training necessary to maintain your system for dependable, trouble-free operation. The contractor should inspect your systems, including the thermostat, the blower motor and fans, and the ducting, as well as the AC condenser and evaporator units, including refrigerant levels, any furnace gas connections and/or heat exchangers and complete any necessary maintenance tasks, including checking all electrical components and controls, oiling motors and calibrating thermostats and adjust the entire system for optimal performance.

Having said all that, there are some things that you can do your self:

- Make sure the unit is level. The compressor piston/cylinder Is usually lubricated from the bottom up. A tilted oil reservoir can cause uneven lubrication requiring more power and resulting in faster wear.

- Sufficient Clearance: Both the inside (evaporator) and outside (condenser) units should have at least 30 inches of access clearance. Not only does this allow proper servicing of the unit, but more importantly it allows the air drawn in to be cooled and circulated and it allows proper dissipation of the heat from the evaporator. Remove obstructions such as debris and shrubbery from the outside unit and boxes, suitcases, etc from the attic unit.

- Filters: Change or clean the system filters once a month. This is especially important during the summer when dust and allergens circulate. Dirty filters restrict air flow, increase power demands, reduce efficiency and can even cause the evaporator to ice up.

- Registers: Reduce dust in your home by vacuuming the system registers and the cold air return as part of your regular cleaning.

- Hose Connections: Check all for leaks and make sure the condensate tube is draining freely.

- Ducts: Examine exposed supply ducts for gaps or leaks allowing conditioned air to escape. Look for gaps and run your hand along exposed supply ducts with the blower running to feel for escaping air. Seal any leaks with duct tape.

- Listen: Listen to your condenser, evaporator and furnace when they are running. If you hear unusual noises, follow the appliance manual’s directions or consult with your professional heating/cooling contractor.

- Obstructions: Remove any objects or debris that may have fallen through the registers. Remove any drapes, furniture or other objects blocking registers, interrupting airflow and lowering your system’s efficiency.

Dishwasher Maintenance

With the winter and the holidays coming, your dishwasher is likely to get a little more and harder use. You may want to treat for scale build-up and perform a maintenance inspection. Over time, build-ups from various causes can become deposited on the inside walls and heating element of the dishwasher. Remove all dishwasher contents (leave the racks) and run with no detergent and the following, as applicable: for mold, place one tablespoon of bleach in your dishwasher and run it for a full cycle; for rust, use a rust remover (ask for the right one at a hardware store) and run a cycle; for stains, place a cupful of white vinegar in your dishwasher and run it for a full cycle. An alternative to vinegar is baking soda.

Maintain your Large Appliances

As the holiday season begins, make sure your appliances are prepared for the demands you will place on them.

- Pull your refrigerator from the wall and clean the condenser coils in back with a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment. Also, vacuum dust from the front lower grille and clean the drip pan and the drain leading to it (if your unit has one).
- Clean the oven and stove drip pans on your electric range. Clean the surface burner on your gas stove to ensure proper flame level.
- De-stench your in-sink garbage disposal by packing it with ice cubes and 1/4 cup of baking soda; then turn it on. After the ice-grinding noise stops, pour a kettle full of boiling water into the sink.
- Check the dishwasher strainer and washer arm; clean if necessary.

Gas Lighter Bars and Gas Log Maintenance

Those handy gas starter pipes start a fire quickly, but they deteriorate over time and need to be replaced (as do their gas mixing valves). Look for excessive rust scaling, cracks, stripped threads on the joints or blocked gas outlet holes. Many fireplace/heating supply stores carry them or can order them for you. Be sure to get the proper natural gas or propane mixing valve. Gas logs should be serviced annually (we suggest your dealer) to help assure proper performance. Over time, the materials that help create the realistic gas flame will become worn and dirty, and replacing the embers and sand/vermiculite will help your log set perform and look like new. Consult your Owners Manual to determine the correct type of material to use and how it should be applied. Do not substitute materials or attempt to make alterations to your gas log set; doing so may cause dangerous conditions. Some helpful items to renew the realism of your fireplace include soot remover spray, replacement "glowing ember" lava rocks and rock wool mixture to replace the original material that came with your gas log set.