Fall brings many projects to do in preparation for  winter and  even for  Spring.  Our goal is to give you guidelines and suggestions that will help you accomplish household repairs and maintenance tasks yourself.  Please feel free to comment on our hints or suggestions and e-mail us with any ideas.

HOT WATER HEATERS: When was the last time you drained your hot water heater? For proper maintenance and optimum performance, you should drain water from your heater about every 6 months. This will prevent sediment accumulation in the bottom of your tank. Just open the drain valve at the bottom of the tank letting water run into a large bucket until the water runs clear. Sometimes it takes about 5 gallons. For more information regarding both gas and electric hot heaters see:               www.allabouthome.com/tips/plumbing/water_heaters.html

VCR CLEANING: Did you rent lots of movies last summer? Most manufacturers suggest that after as few as 16 hours of viewing, your VCR should be cleaned. Cleaning the heads will insure that your player works better and lasts longer. You can purchase a VCR cleaning kit at most video appliance stores or even at your local drug store chain. Follow the easy directions and keep the kit around as it can be used several times. (Check the cleaning fluid, it's common in everyone's medicine cabinet!) While you are shopping for head cleaners, you might check to see if your car cassette player gives you a "CLN" message when you first insert a cassette. Those cleaning kits are available at the same store and are easy to use as well.

PROTECTING AGAINST THE COLD:

1. It is time to think about draining those garden hoses and storing them for the winter.
2. It is also time to protect your outside pipes from freezing. Find the shut off valve for your exterior spigots. It is located inside the house usually near where the pipes lead to the outside. Turn off the water supply to the exterior spigots. Open the spigot, let all the water drain and then close the spigot tightly. Find that Thinsulate^TM glove which has no mate and slip it over the exterior faucet head to keep out the cold air during the winter months.
3. Keep the house heated to a minimum of 65^o F. The temperature inside the walls where the pipes are located is colder than the walls themselves. Temperatures below 65^o F will not keep the outside walls from freezing.
4. Protect water pipes inside the house from freezing by insulating any that are exposed or susceptible to north winds. Use either insulating aluminum backed foam or fiberglass pipe glass wrap, or flexible, closed-cell polyethylene foam insulation that is pre-slit to snap around the pipe.
5. Caulk Outside Your House:

• Anywhere different materials meet on the exterior i.e. at foundation joints where masonry joins siding and around door and window jambs where they meet the siding
• Any holes cut into the house i.e. water spigot, cable television and telephone wires- Around clothes dryer vent- Where utility lines run into house i.e. plumbing lines, electrical meters, air conditioner lines
• On the roof to seal chimney flashing, vent pipes, skylights and antenna. (Written by Gene and Katie Hamilton Copyright HouseNet, Inc.)

For more information see: www.housenet.com

                 YOUR HOUSE AND GARDEN:

1. It's a good time to give a light pruning to trees, which have shed their leaves because you have a good opportunity to look at the shape of the branches. Now's the time to remove misdirected and dead branches.
2. Now is the time to plant those fall bulbs for your spring flowers. A step by step guide can be found at:

www.chase-pitkin.com/homework/assignments/archive/assign71.html

 

 

In keeping with the THANKSGIVING SEASON we would like to share our 3 favorite Thanksgiving sites with you.

1. Complete guidelines for buying, storing and preparing your turkey.

http://www.ultranet.com/~kaleidos/turkeytalk.shtml

2. "A No-fuss Thanksgiving": A complete do-ahead menu for Thanksgiving dinner

http://family.disney.com/Categories/Food/Features/family_1997_11/famf/famf117feast/

3. This site gives you both the story of Thanksgiving and a quiz to test your knowledge of the history of the holiday.

http://www.wilstar.com/holidays/thanksgv.htm

Check this web page in December for new HANDY-WOMAN do-it-yourself projects, hints, and holiday fun.

Women's Guide to Home Maintenance OCTOBER 1998 issue.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? E-Mail me at: [email protected]

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Thanks for stopping by.
 
 

 

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