RECENT STORIES

Suicide prevention walk to be held at Sloan's Lake ( Simon Moya-Smith/YourHub staff )
Help CASA bring children home safely ( Melissa Hellmuth )
Day of the Dead and Gypsy Dance ( Renee Fajardo-Anstine )
Be food safe . . . clean, separate, cook and chill ( Nancy Braden )
Concerns expressed over trying park navigation ( Simon Moya-Smith/YourHub staff )

share a story | more postings »

YourHub.com \\ Edgewater \\ Stories \\ Tips & Techniques \\ General Tips & Techniques

Around the house: Get your home ready for summer

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

Contributed by: John Ward on 6/3/2008

Chances are pretty good you change the oil in your car regularly because you know it'll run better and last longer if you do.

And you probably take your car to the dealership or favorite garage regularly for the same reason: It's a way to protect your investment in a major asset.

Do you do the same for your home? It's probably the single biggest investment you have. And it's time to get your home ready for summer.

If you have an air conditioning system, swamp cooler or attic fan a little maintenance at the beginning of the season will mean cooler days this summer plus fewer repair bills and longer life for your cooling system. And it could save you money on your monthly utility bill as well.

Here are some summer tune-up tips for your cooling system:

Air Conditioning: Start by changing or cleaning the air filters on your furnace/air conditioning system, if you haven't done that recently. Changing or cleaning the filters on your air conditioner and furnace monthly is a good idea. Having your furnace and air conditioning system professionally checked and tuned annually is a good idea, too.

Changing or cleaning your furnace/air conditioning filters regularly means the system will run more efficiently and you'll be breathing cleaner air. Did you know most household dust is actually dead skin we all shed daily? It also contains things like pet dander, plant and mold spores, pollen, bacteria and tiny dust mites that are a major cause of allergies and asthma. Dirty filters mean more of these things reach your nose and lungs.

Swamp Coolers: If you have a swamp cooler, remove the panels and clean out any debris that's collected at the bottom. Check the fan belt for proper tension. If you can move it more than an inch, it's time to replace it.

If the motor has an oil receptacle, lubricate it with the proper oil. And make sure the cooler pads -- that's what the water runs through -- are in good shape. Replace them if they're worn or shabby looking.

Turn on the motor and pump and check to make sure water is flowing evenly through the cooler pads. Check for cracks or holes in the structure of the frame of the cooler. Check to make sure the water fills to the proper level and that the floater arm shuts off the pump when the water reaches the correct level.

Attic fans: Lubricate the motor, clean the fan blades and housing, tighten screws and bolts. Make sure the setscrew securing the blade to the motor is tightened. Clean screens and attic vents.

You can do some of these things yourself. Or we can do it for you. Either way, do them now for a cooler summer.

------

(John Ward has owned and operated Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric for more than 35 years. He is a master plumber and recognized as an industry leader for his knowledge and ethical business practices.)

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story

Talk Back : submit comments to the story

*Note: you need to log-in to add a comment or rating.

Thank you! Your comment has been updated.

CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

John Ward

Denver , CO

John Ward has posted 1351 stories and 0 comments since joining on 3/28/2007. John Ward 's average story rating is 4.7.

view profile » view other postings from John Ward »

SAVE AND SHARE THIS STORY

digg	Google
del.icio.us	Yahoo!
reddit	newsvine

What is this?

STORY RSS FEEDS

All stories

All stories in Edgewater

All stories by John Ward

WANT TO WRITE FOR YOURHUB.COM?

Want to see the stories you write and the photos you shoot featured in the YourHub.com Thursday print section available all over the Front Range and with home subscriptions of the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post? All you have to do is register, then post a story or column, start a blog or tell everyone what events are happening in town. We will print the best stories, columns, event listings, photos and blog entries in our print sections.

Loading Ad