Several years ago, my parents came to visit and go on vacation with us. The night before we were to leave for the beach, I went to my basement to find the floor covered in water. After a late night of clean up and repairs we were still able to get to the beach the next day. Fortunately, our basement wasn’t finished at the time. So, what was the culprit? A clogged air conditioning condensate line. Unfortunately, I never took the advice I’d given at every new home orientation to POUR SOME BLEACH DOWN THE AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSATE LINE TWICE A YEAR. The result of ignoring this step is that mold and mildew and other nasties build up in the line and eventually clog it. Trust me, it happens. There are also tablets available that can be dropped into the condensate line to help keep it clean, if you have an aversion to bleach. Whichever method you choose, make sure to keep those lines clean!
Also relating to air conditioning, CHANGE THE AIR FILTERS AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR. The most common issue with air conditioning I ran across while working as a warranty manager was clogged air filters. Clean filters will help the unit run more smoothly and efficiently (saving you money on your electric bill) and it increases the life of the unit as well. Often, when the AC quits running on a hot summer day, the culprit is a clogged filter that has caused the coils to freeze and quit working due to lack of air flow. This is not a warranty item and if this is all that is wrong when you call the HVAC company out on a “warranty” call, you will get a bill for it. It is easily preventable, and yes, much like cleaning the condensate lines, I’ve been guilty of not following my own advice on more than one occasion. Learn from my mistakes and keep those filters clean!
Probably the most common issue I’ve come across with regards to leaks or exterior rot, and even basement leaks, is clogged gutters. CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS TWICE A YEAR. Despite being the most difficult of the three items in this blog, this one I do a pretty good job of keeping up with. Failure to do so can cause water to back up underneath shingles and leak into the home, especially in cold weather where ice or snow can form. Even if the water doesn’t go under the shingles, if the gutters are clogged, it is going to go somewhere unintended. That is either going to be go to over the backside of the gutter, potentially rotting out the facia and soffit or over the front side of the gutter. Contant pounding of water running off the roof on the ground can wash away and saturate the soil eventually leading to basement leaks. While getting up on a ladder or roof and cleaning out the gutters may not be as easy as maintaining your AC system, failure to do so can be costly. If you aren’t comfortable with heights, or just don’t have the time, hire someone to do it for you. Whatever you do, don’t ignore them.