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Home Maintenance & Repair
Helpful Tips
With the new year upon us and winter is settling in, we will be using our heaters and portable heating devices more to stay warm. With our busy lives, we tend to forget about the little things like:
Replace the air filter in you central heating unit if you haven't done it since summer. By changing the filters when required, your unit will run more efficiently. The manufacture puts a month rating on their filter. It is best to replace your filter at least twice a year. However if you use you AC or Heater a lot, then you should replace them more frequently. A visit from the repair tech is more costly than replacing your filters more frequently.
Replace the batteries in your Fire/Smoke/Carbon monoxide alarms if equipped. Yes, the chirp can be annoying, but it is telling you to replace the battery for your safety. Some homes are equipped with dual power units which means they are powered by 120V and the battery backup in case the power goes out. Well, if your power goes out and there is a fire and the battery is dead, you and your loved ones could suffer severe injury or death.
If you have older ones and it has been over a year since you last replaced them, they should be replaced asap.
With the recent advances in technology, there are new Combo Smoke and Co alarms that have a 10 year battery life so you won't need to worry about them.
Check the power cords on your portable heating devices for any fraying, cracking, or exposed wiring. If you notice anything wrong with them, do not use the device and have it repaired or replaced. Remember, it only takes a spark.
If you like burning wood in a fireplace like I do. Check your dampener to make sure it is open before lighting a fire. Also throw one of those chimney sweeping logs in there as well. They help reduce the building up of harmful deposits of tar and creosote, the major cause of chimney fires! They can be found at your local hardware stores. You only need one or two of them during the season depending how often you use your fireplace.
If your furnace is up there in age, say 15 to 20 years. It would be a good idea to have the burners checked by your gas company to make sure they are working properly. They can also do a Carbon Monoxide check at the registers. Buy the way, it's usually a free service.
Staying Warm
Documents
Dryer taking too long to dry?
The problem is usually caused by a clogged dryer duct. This tricks out the dryer sensors thinking it is too hot in the dryer and shuts down the heating elements. The timer doesn't know any better.
If you haven't had you dryer duct cleaned in several years and you notice it takes longer to dry the clothes, you might want to think about having the duct cleaned.
