Manufacturers recommend you change your air filters every three months – I recommend every month for good reason. We have dogs so we change them every 20 – 30 days, this keeps the dander down, limits extra allergens and keeps the air quality at home a nice level. A good reminders is when you make your mortgage payment, good time to change your filter.
Karyn, in our office, tells the story of how her dogs ran around and rubbed against her outside air handler and clogged it up with dog hair, her husband pulled a small dog worth of hair from it. They’ve since blocked that area off from their dogs. You may want to take a look inspect your own air handler to see if there is anything blocking intake. Check your model’s recommended precautions before opening or removing any pieces from your own equipment. Springtime is a good time to check your air conditioning unit’s drain pain and clean it out for the season.
Clean the cooling fins (coils) behind or under your refrigerator regularly – Lowes and Home Depot sell tools for this purpose, but you can probably use something else to get the job done. The more dust accumulates behind your refrigerator the harder the coils need to work to keep the unit cool. Also, while you’re focused on your refrigerator you might want to look at the drip pan and empty it once a month if necessary.
Check your water heater to ensure foam insulation hasn’t accumulated into the drip pan as it can ball up and cause your drain to clog. You’ll also want to make sure you have an actual drain linked to your drip pan. If you have a tankless water heater, they have their own set of rules for maintenance. You’ll want to follow guidelines for your particular model. With the right maintenance you can extend the life of your water heater by a decade or more.
Springtime is also a great time to plan new kitchen, bath or in our new normal, get a great design on an outdoor kitchen so you can entertain in style. Call our office to schedule a meeting to discuss your plans.
Written by Jamez Ronald Prudlick
