Many of the Woodchucks, besides being competent woodworkers, have plumbing, electrical, and general maintenance skills. Four years ago, we decided to share those skills with Sun City residents through a column in the Sun Day newspaper. The column you are now reading is our 100th.
Some readers may have missed some of our advice so we have selected five of the columns that we consider must do maintenance. All 100 Ask the Woodchucks columns are on line on the Sun Day web site. www.mysundaynews.com/
Click on the columnists tab and then click Woodchucks and you will see all of the columns.
1. Replace smoke detectors over 10 years old.
If your house is ten years old or more and you have the original smoke detectors, they are probably not working. You should replace them as soon as possible. (See web site article May 28, 2013)
2. Replace the rubber washing machine hoses.
Many washing machines come with rubber hot and cold water hoses. These have a relatively short life span and should only be used if you turn the water off after every wash load. A much safer alternative is a braided steel hose with a FloodSafe auto shutoff connector. This hose contains a built-in shutoff device that should the hose fail the water is automatically shut off. (See web site article May. 9, 2013)
3. Ten year warrantee on windows.
The Weathershield and the Simonton windows used in Sun City have a ten-year warrantee against seal failures. If you see moisture between the two panes of glass on any of your windows, you have a seal failure. Call either A Touch of Glass 847-265-1100 or D C Brown Window Service 815-477-8333 for replacement. The windows are free but you will have to pay for the installation labor. (See web site article Apr. 10, 2014)
4. Sink and toilet shut off valve maintenance.
If you haven’t noticed, there is a shut off valve under every sink and toilet in your house. These are there so that if there is a leak or you need to change a faucet, you can turn off just the affected fixture and not the main water valve to the house. If you ignore this valve, when you finally need it, it will be corroded open, and you will not be able to close it. Every year, you should go around the house to each shut off valve and turn it off and then back on. This will break away any corrosion that has built up and the valve should be good until next year when you turn it off again. If you can’t turn the valve, DO NOT use a metal wrench to close it. There is a plastic wrench designed for this job. It is called the Gordon wrench. (See web site article Dec. 16, 2010)
5. Clean your clothes drier vent.
Your clothes dryer works by blowing heated air through your clothes. It then exhausts this warm moist air through a duct to the outside either through the roof or through the side wall of the house. Over time these ducts collect lint on their wall, which constricts the air flow. This lint buildup will slow down the drying process of your clothes because it restricts the air flow. Eventually as the heat builds up it can cause a fire.
To prevent these problems it is necessary to clean these ducts every year or two. You can do this yourself (see web site article Sept. 9, 2010) or you can hire a company like A&D Proclean 847-754-6207.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com.
