Are the return air vents in your house covered with dirt?  If so, you’re not cleaning or replacing your filter often enough!

Here’s a question we get asked on a regular basis; how often should I replace the air filters and my furnace?

You should replace or clean the filter once a month.  With forced air furnace systems, air recycling from the interior of the home to the furnace blower first passes through the air filter which is designed to catch a dust and debris and help clean the air before it cycles through the home again.  When filters become dirty or clogged, it only cuts down on the efficiency of the furnace, but over time it can cause parts to wear out faster.

Remember to turn the power off to the unit before you change the filter and check your owner’s manual for the recommended filter type.

A disposable furnace filter is made of a fiber mesh in a cardboard frame.  You can find the size of the filter printed on the edge of the frame.  There are special filters available that will do a much better job than the average disposable type.  The pleated panel filters usually cost around $5 for the average heating system and are much better at removing dust particles.

Most package filters have an arrow stamped on them to indicate the direction of air travel through the filter.  An arrow on the edge of the frame indicates the correct direction of airflow through the filter.  Air flows from the return air duct toward the blower, so the arrow on the filter should point toward the blower and away from the return air duct.

Washable filters should be washed and treated every month.

Question:
How can I help prevent wood rot on my wood window sills and trim?

Answer:
There are three good ways to help prevent wood rot on your wood window sills and trim. The first thing is to keep the bushes and shrubs trimmed back away from the house at least eighteen inches. Second, the window sills and trim need to be kept caulked and painted (check on their condition annually). Finally, the third way to prevent wood rot is to remove the window screens on all of the windows that you don’t use for ventilation. The reason is that metal bottom section of the screen acts like a dam and water ponds on the window sills. As the paint on the window sills deteriorates water seeps through the sill and the wood begins to rot.

The interesting thing is that wood rot occurs more quickly on newer homes than on older homes. The wood on older homes is truly stronger.

Question:
Our clothes washing machine is connected to the hot and cold water supply lines with the black rubber hoses. Should we replace the rubber hoses?

Answer:
Yes! One of the best things you can do to minimize the risk of a flood in your home is replace your existing rubber washing machine supply line hoses with the flexible braded metal hoses. The braded metal hoses cost approximately $15 each. That’s the cheapest insurance you will ever purchase!

Here is a well kept secret - The rubber hoses will only break when you’re on vacation.

Question:
It seems like it takes longer and longer for our clothes dryer to get our clothes dry? Any suggestions?

Answer:
My first thought is that the clothes dryer vent needs to be cleaned out. When the vent line gets clogged up with lint it takes a lot longer for your clothes to get dry.

As a matter of fact, if the dryer vent line is clogged up you could actually have a fire. The Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that there are approximately 15,000 clothes dryer fires each year with $97 million worth of damage caused by these fires.

Please, clean out your clothes dryer vent line at least Annually! I saw a good product on the internet the other day for cleaning your clothes dryer vent line. It was called the “Lint Eater” and their web site is www.linteater.com. The unit was priced under $55.00. 

Answer:
Absolutely! Today GFCI electrical outlets are required in all wet areas around the home, i.e., kitchens, and baths, garages, basements and on the exterior of the home. They are an inexpensive way to protect your family from electrocution when using electrical devices around water.