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.

Shower head Maintenance

Shower heads develop uneven spray when the holes become clogged with mineral deposits from the water. To remove these deposits from the shower head, take a plastic bag and pour a cup of vinegar in it. Place the bag over the shower head 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 peel 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 vents 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.