16 Easy Spring Tasks To Save You Money

Posted: May 31, 2018 by Andy

Spring cleaning is an annual tradition, but your springtime routine should go beyond straightening up and airing out your house and tidying up the yard. Most of these 16 tasks should only take a few minutes, and they'll save you potentially hundreds or even thousands of dollars, so get started!

1. Humidity introduced by spring rains can wreak havoc on your home's interior, causing doors and windows to stick, and in severe cases, mold and mildew to form. A dehumidifier is your best defense. To help keep your dehumidifier working well, remove the unit's housing and let it dry completely. Vacuum every surface and crevice you can reach, and then replace the housing.

2. Spring is the perfect time to clean your bathroom fan. A good cleaning will ensure it runs quietly and efficiently. Take the fan's cover off, wash the cover with soapy water and clean dirt and debris off the fan blades with a toothbrush. Make sure the power is off when you're cleaning it!

3. Check the flapper inside your toilet every spring as well. If it's showing its age, replace it before it starts leaking and wasting water. It's an easy job, and the inexpensive kit is available at your local hardware store.

4. Remove the faucet handles in your kitchen and bathroom and clean their internal components to keep the screws from corroding. A cleaner like CLR works wonders on these, and this simple job has the nice side benefit of ensuring that your faucet handles stay tight.

5. Spring is one of the two times to replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. An easy way to remember this: Change your clocks, change your batteries. While you're at it, vacuum the dust out of your detectors to keep them operating at peak performance.

6. Make sure you have a recently-charged fire extinguisher within quick and easy reach. Don't have an extinguisher? Now is the time to get one. Your insurance company may reimburse you for it as well!

7. Inspect the caulk around your home's windows and doors annually, and if it's damaged or pulling away, remove it and recaulk the area. Proper caulking keeps out heat, humidity, and moisture in the summer and also keeps out the cold in the winter - saving you money on your utility bills year-round.

8. Open and close all windows, inspecting them as you go. Do they open smoothly, yet seal tightly? If they don't, check the weather stripping and replace as needed. You may also need to adjust the window's guide rails to ensure smooth operation and a tight fit.

9. Remove the screens from windows and doors and give them a good scrubbing with soapy water and a soft brush. Rinse thoroughly and let them dry fully before reinstalling. Spring is also the time to take advantage of spring's milder temperatures and let the outdoors cool your home!

10. To fix small holes in a window or door screen, dab clear household cement over the hole. Be sure to test the adhesive on a scrap first, to make sure it won't melt the screen. Use the same technique to repair tears in the screen. Pull the tear together and hold it in place with tape on one side of the screen. Apply the household cement to rejoin the tear. When the glue is dry, gently remove the tape and glue the other side of the screen to complete the repair.

11. Clean winter debris out of your gutters and check them for damage from ice and snow. The preferred way to do this is up on a ladder so you can visually inspect the gutters and ensure they're thoroughly cleaned, but if you're not a fan of heights, you can find pole-mounted gutter cleaning tools at your local hardware store. Gutter screens or protectors help keep debris out of the gutters, but they can make future cleaning more difficult, so use your best judgment on these.

12. If a gutter is sagging, put it back into position by tightening its strap with pliers or by pounding its retaining spikes in with a hammer. Be sure not to over-tighten or hammer a spike in too far, or you may prevent the water from draining toward the downspouts properly.

13. To prevent basement flooding, make sure there a downspout's outlet is at least three feet from the side of your house. Use the following to reach that distance: Add an elbow and a pipe extension, use a splash guard that stretches about three feet, or attach a flexible extension hose to the end of the downspout and bend it away from the house.

14. Inspect and replace the filters in your heating and cooling system every month. There are a variety of filter types to choose from, depending on your needs. Fiberglass filters typically last only one month, while HEPA filters last up to six months and may be cleaned with a vacuum. If you need help choosing the right HVAC filter, give us a call!

15. Most central air conditioning units have a drainage hole or condensation drain line. It should be easy to see which of these your system has. If it has a hole, clean any debris out of it with a slender object like a straightened coat hanger. You can clean the end of a condensation drain line this way as well, and you can keep it clog-free by pouring a weak bleach or vinegar solution into it every month or so.

16. Have your air conditioning system professionally serviced before summer arrives. The harsh cold of winter can be hard on your outdoor AC condenser unit - make sure it's ready for those hot days. Call us today to schedule a tune-up and beat the rush - you'll be glad you did!

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