If you have never felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities that come with owning a home, you’re fortunate!
Most of us – even our Miller Restoration team members – have felt the weight of a seasonal “to-do” list, because it means extra work, when we already work so hard to pay for our homes.
As the seasons change from spring to summer, one or two small jobs are absolutely required of every homeowner. Before you turn on your outside water taps, or run your air conditioning for the first time, it’s imperative to make sure your pipes and drainage lines have not suffered winter damage.
Follow outside lines, looking for cracks or breaks. Change washers for hose attachments. Follow the lines that drain condensation from your furnace or split-system air conditioning unit, searching for breaks or discolouration that can indicate blockage. These are fairly easy jobs that can save you bundles in repair costs, since water damage to a home’s interior is not something you’d wish on your worst enemy.
Keeping up with water line and furnace maintenance is just a good homeowner habit to have. Prepping lines for winter, then opening them up again as spring rolls around is one of the easiest ways to prevent flooding from water line damage. If you find a problem you can’t fix yourself, calling in the professionals is a smart thing to do.
Interestingly, our Miller teams, as part of Disaster Kleenup International, are most often called by insurance companies to inspect damage to a home following a flood. We have seen some damage that was absolutely accidental and not preventable, but other times, we’re aware that regular maintenance could have saved the day.
A few other pieces of advice from our Miller experts, before running your air conditioner that first time:
- have a look inside the outside unit for debris, like leaves and sticks;
- check the fan blades for cracks or chips;
- trim bushes back from your outside unit;
- clean or replace your furnace filters, and
- make sure your inside thermostat is ready to go for the summer season, with programs set to save you some costs in utilities; change the unit’s batteries to give it a fresh start
One last, important piece of advice from our Miller team is shut down the power at your breaker box before completing any of the following to prevent accidental electrocution:
- opening your furnace to remove filters
- removing the cover on your outside unit to clear debris or check the fan
- cleaning your outside unit
- accessing any electrical component to your HVAC system
Beyond regular homeowner maintenance, if you suspect your HVAC system has problems beyond your control, now is the time to call in the experts for a complete seasonal maintenance or repair appointment.
The cost will be a drop in the bucket, compared to the money you’ll spend cleaning up from a flood.
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Are you in need of cleanup or advice following a disaster in your home? Our experts at Miller Restoration would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Call the Miller office at 905-688-9224, or visit our website contact page, HERE.