february home maintenance, furnace filter replacement

February Home Maintenance Checklist

We’ve got a list of five things to complete in your home for the month of February. Completing this February home maintenance checklist will help prevent costly repairs in the future. Check out the video below, by Ace’s Home Expert Lou Manfredini, as he walks you through each item on the list.

1. Change the filters in your forced air furnace. Depending on where you live your system can be running more often. Changing your filters frequently can help improve the air quality and reduce the strain on the blower. Consider upgrading to a high-quality air filters. They can last up to 3 months and help filter out things like bacteria, pollen and pet dander. Something that lower cost filters can’t reduce.  Set a reminder to change it in 3 months now to stop the guessing game later.

2. Clean your bath fan. Drop the cover on the bath fan and use a wet/dry vac hose and clean the blower and fan housing. You will be amazed at how dirty it is and during the cold months the higher moisture in the bathroom when showering will clog it even faster.

3. Get your toilet ready for the big game. You likely had many guests during the holidays and now more are coming over the big game. Get your bowl ready cleaning calcium buildup. Take a wire coat hanger and pull it apart. Bend one end of it so you have about and inch at a 90-degree angle. Hold a hand mirror under the rim of the toilet and use the hanger to scrape open each hole. By opening these holes you will increase the volume of water that comes from the tank each time you flush the toilet. In the evening or when the toilet will not be used for several hours, pour about a cup of either CLR or Lime Away in the tank and partially flush the toilet. This will add a bit of water into the bowl. Allow it stand for several hours. This will help loosen the remaining calcium buildup inside the rim if the bowl and improve toilet power.

4. Clean your fridge refrigerator coils. Last month we talked the importance of a clean oven. Now, it’s your fridges turn. You won’t believe how dirty fridge coils can get. When the coils get dirty, your fridge uses more electricity. Clean them off with a wet/dry vac on the bottom and the back. This is going to help the unit run efficiently saving you life of the fridge and improve your electric bill. Set a reminder in August to do this task again.

5. Seal your tile grout. Just like fridges, sealing your grout is a good semiannual task to perform. From backsplashes to tiled bathrooms, sealing your tile grout will help prevent stains, grease, maintain the color as well as prevent damage and deterioration.

Find Everything You Need for February Home Maintenance At Central Coast Ace

These “How-To’s” are provided for informational purposes only. The information contained in Ace Hardware’s “how-to” videos and/or articles is intended to provide general guidelines for projects in and outside of your home.  Tools, products, materials, techniques, building codes, local regulations are continually changing. Ace Hardware assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein and disclaims any liability for the omissions, errors or the outcome of any project. It is the responsibility of the viewer to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, rules, codes and regulations for a project and the product being used. The viewer must always take proper safety precautions and exercise caution when taking on any project or using materials of said project. If you have any questions, concerns or doubts in regards to any element of what is displayed in the videos and/or articles, contact a licensed professional.

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