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Learn some easy procedures you can do to perform basic preventive maintenance around the house.
Bathroom
These helpful hints should help keep the plumbing in your bathroom working
properly.
• Every two to three weeks run hot water down the drains
to help keep them flowing freely.
• Repair leaky faucets to avoid more damage to
the fixtures and faucets. Also lavatory faucets
can let water drop into the cabinet and damage
the cabinet.
• Tubs and showers and in some cases lavatory drains should be fitted with strainers that catch hair
and other things that might otherwise go down
the drain.
• Do not flush facial tissue or sanitary products. They do not dissolve and can clog the lines.
Showerhead Maintenance
Showerheads develop uneven spray when the holes
become clogged with mineral deposits from the
water. To remove these deposits from the
showerhead, take a plastic bag and pour a cup of
vinegar in it. Place the bag over the showerhead
and use a twist tie to hold it in place
overnight. In the morning, remove the bag and
scrub the area with a toothbrush. If this does
not work the shower head will need to be
replaced.
Kitchen
Cleaning Your Garbage Disposal
Odors can occur from a buildup of food debris inside the disposal. Try these steps to eliminate odors:
• Grind ice cubes with lemon peal in the disposal for about 30 seconds
• While the disposal is still running, pour a small
amount of liquid detergent into it. Rinse any remaining
debris away by running cold water for about 30
seconds. This is something that should be done every
month to help keep the odor away.
Garbage Disposal Stops Working
Your disposal has an overload protector that
senses if the motor is overheating and shuts it off. If
your disposal stops running, it could be the safety on
the disposal has tripped.
If you have a new roof
installed
If a new roof is installed on a dwelling
the vent s on water heaters and furnaces should always
be checked to make sure they are still connected to the
units correctly. Quite often vent pipe comes loose from
the units during the installation of a new roof. If
vents are off of a furnace or water heater a danger of
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning exists.
Water Heater Annual Maintenance
• Test the pressure relief valve ( T & P valve ) by lifting up on the lever and letting it snap back. The valve should allow a burst of water into the drain
pipe, if not, call a professional to have a new valve installed. It
is a good idea to have the T & P valve changed out about
every three to four years.
Check your temperature setting on the thermostat, it should be set to 120°F.
Lowering the temperature setting lowers your energy
usage. It cuts down on the chance of scalding. Also it
can help extend the life of a water heater by making the
unit not work so hard.
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