Owning a home comes with its challenges. Keeping up with all the maintenance tasks is one of them. You probably know to trim your trees and patch up holes in walls. What about the obscure things you probably don’t think of? Don’t worry, we did some research and pulled together our favorite forgotten tips to help you out.
Change the direction of your ceiling fans.
Bet you didn’t know that the direction of your ceiling fans should change twice a year? In the winter, your fans should rotate clockwise. In the summer, you’ll want them to rotate counterclockwise to push cool air down. Most fans have a switch to adjust/reverse the rotation. By doing this, you can help your cooling/heating systems run more cost-efficiently, with the help of the ceiling fans.
Wash your washing machine.
Your washing machine washes all your dirty clothes, but who is washing the machine? Mold and mildew are likely to form if you don’t regularly maintain them. We recommend doing this once a month. For cleaning tips for a top-loading washer click here. If you have a front-loading washer check out this guide.
Clean off your outdoor air conditioning unit.
An AC is crucial in the Texas heat. Making sure your unit is clear of debris and gunk regularly ensures a longer lifespan and less wasted energy. Things like vacuuming the condenser fins, hosing down debris and spraying the unit with coil cleaner are necessary. If you need a step-by-step check out this video.
Flush out your water heater.
You don’t want to end up taking a cold shower mid-winter because your water heater breaks down. It is important to flush the water heater once a year, to get rid of sediment build-up. You can do this yourself or you can have a professional plumber come do it. If you’re up for the challenge, follow the steps below (or see more detailed instructions here)!
- Shut off the water supply to your water heater
- Turn off the power to the water heater
- Give the water time to cool off
- Attach a hose to the drain valve
- Turn on a hot water tap
- Open the drain valve
- Turn the water supply back on to flush the tank with fresh, clean water.
- Refill the tank
For other Habitat Homer’s Home Tips check out our blog by visiting www.HabitatsSA.org/blog/.