the first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · the first thing you need to do...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
![Page 2: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Thefirstthingyouneedtodoistomakealistofimportanttelephonenumbersthatyoumayneedtohelpmaintainyourhome.Onceyouhave
readthisHomeMaintenanceGuide,besuretokeepitnearthephonesoyouwillknowwhereitisincaseofemergencies.
FOR EMERGENCIES, CALL 911
MYADDRESS
MYPHONE
INCASEOFEMERGENCY,CALL
FIRE, POLICE, EMERGENCY NUMBERS
FIREDEPARTMENT
POLICEDEPARTMENT
SHERIFF’SDEPARTMENT
HOSPITALS
INSURANCECOMPANY
UTILITIES’ EMERGENCY NUMBERS
ELECTRICALPOWERCOMPANY
GASCOMPANY
WATERDEPARTMENT
SEWERDEPARTMENT
STREETDEPARTMENT
PHONECOMPANY
HEATINGOILSUPPLIER
GARBAGESERVICEl l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
1Important Phone Numbers
![Page 3: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
REPAIR SERVICE EMERGENCY NUMBERS
HEATINGSERVICE
AIR-CONDITIONINGSERVICE
TELEPHONEREPAIRSERVICE
CABLETELEVISIONSERVICE
PLUMBERS
ELECTRICIANS
CARPENTER
PAINTER
APPLIANCEREPAIRSERVICES
OTHERREPAIRSERVICES
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
2 Important Phone Numbers
![Page 4: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Now,takeaminutetofindtheshutoffvalvesforyourutilities.Thenwritedownwheretheyarelocatedsosomeoneelsecouldfindthemifnecessary.Makenoteofanyspecialconditionsaboutthe
locationofeachoneorhowitworks.Also,readthewarrantyandinstructionsforallyourappliances.Thenplaceallthisinformationinonelocationsoyoucanfinditwhenyouneedit.
ELECTRICAL MAIN SWITCH LOCATION
WATER MAIN VALVE LOCATION
HOT WATER HEATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION
GAS MAIN VALVE LOCATION
WARRANTY AND INSTRUCTIONS LOCATION
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
3Emergency Switch/Valve Locations
![Page 5: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS 1EMERGENCY SWITCH AND VALVE LOCATIONS 3INTRODUCTION 5HOME EXTERIORS 6
Foundation7
ExteriorWalls 8 RoofandGutters 10 WindowsandDoors 12 Yards 14
HOME INTERIORS 15PLUMBING 20ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 27HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS 31MONTHLY MAINTENANCE/INSPECTION CHECKLIST 35GLOSSARY 39
HOME MAINTENANCE GUIDE forTENNESSEE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
4 Contents
![Page 6: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Yourhomeisoneofyourmostimportantfinancialinvestmentsandpropermaintenancewillhelpyouprotectthisvaluableasset.Sinceyouaretheowner,itisyourresponsibilitytotakegoodcareofyourhome. Youcantakechargeofmaintainingyourhomebyregularlydoing:
* Routine Inspections * Preventive Maintenance
Ahouseismadeupofalotofdifferentpartsthatareallrelatedanddependontheotherparts.Forexample,ifyouhavealeakinyourroof,itcannotonlydamageyourroof,butcancauseyoutohaveproblemswithyourceilings,walls,andyourelectricalsystemaswell.So,it’sveryimportantthatyoufixaproblemwhenyoudetectit. ThisHomeMaintenanceGuidewillprovideyouwithimportantinformationaboutthedifferentpartsofyourhouse.Eachsectionwillgiveyouseveralimportantitemstolookforasyouconductyourroutineinspections.Aswediscusseachpartofthehouse,wewillgiveyoupreventivemaintenancetipsthatcansaveyoufromproblemsinthefuture.
Thefirstsectiongivesyouaplacetorecordtheimportantnamesandphonenumbersofdepartments,companiesandhomemaintenanceprofessionalsthatyouneedtokeeponhandformaintenanceandemergencies. Thenwe’lllookatallthemajorpartsofyourhouse.Ineachsectionwe’lldiscusswhatyouneedtolookoutforinyourroutineinspectionsandhowyoucantakepreventivemeasurestomaintainyourhouse. Thelastsectionisascheduleforamonth-by-monthinspectionofyourhouse.Ifyoufollowthemonthlyinspectionschedule,itwillhelpkeepyourhouseintopnotchcondition. Remember,problemswithyourhousewillnotsimplygoaway.Theywillonlygetbiggerandcostyoumore.It’sreallytruethat“anounceofpreventionisworthapoundofcure.”
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
5Introduction
![Page 7: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Whenyouthinkoftheexteriorpartofyourhouse,youthinkoftheoutsideportionofyourhouse.Theexteriorofyourhouseismadeupoffivemajorareas:
Foundation - Thefoundationofyourhousesupportsthestructurethatisaboveitandkeepsthestructurefromshifting.
Siding - Thesidingofthehouseistheoutsidewalls.
Roof - Theroofcoversthetopofthehouse.
Windows and Doors - Windowsanddoorsareopeningsinthesidingandwallsofyourhouse.
Yard - Theyardisthatareasurroundingyourhousegenerallyknownasyourproperty. Eachoftheseareasmakeuptheexteriorofthehouse.Theexteriorofyourhouseiswhatpeopleseefirst-itistheirfirstimpressionofhowyoulive.Forthatreason,youshouldkeepyourhouselookingcleanandneat.
HomeExteriors
HomeExteriors
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
![Page 8: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
FOUNDATION Thefoundationofyourhouseisthepartofyourhousethatsupportsthefloor,thewalls,theroofandeverythinginsideyourhome.Awell-constructedandproperlymaintainedfoundationshouldlastforyourlifetimeandthensome.Thereareseveraldifferenttypesoffoundations,butonethingthattheyallhaveincommonisthattheymustrestonsolidground.Ifafoundationisproperlybuilt,youshouldhaveveryfewproblemsifyoumaintainit.Afoundationthatispoorlybuilt,eitherthroughmaterialsorlabor,willonlycauseyouproblemslater.Afoundationcancreatemanydifferentproblemsinsideyourhouse.Somemaybeveryminorandrequireverylittlerepairs,whileothersmaybemajor,life-threateningproblemsthatrequirelotsoftimeandmoneytofix. Thefoundationofeveryhouseshouldbeinspectedatleasttwotimesayear,onceinthespringandonceinthefall.Asyourhouseagesandsettles,yourfoundationcancrack,creatingnewproblems.Severeweatherconditionssuchasbadwinters,severesummerstorms,orlongrainyperiodscanalsocreatefoundationproblems. Thefoundationshouldlooklikea“foot-print”ofyourhousethatisdesignedtocarrythehouse’sweight.Generally,foundationsarebuiltonfooterswitheitheracrawlspaceorconcreteslab.Ifyourhousehasabasement,thenyourhousewillhaveanoutsidefoundation.
FOUNDATION INSPECTION Thefirsttimeyouinspectyourfoundationyoushouldmakenotesasto
yourfindingsandthedatetheinspectionwasconducted.Youwillthenbeabletocheckanychangesthatmayoccuroverthenextfewyearsbasedonyournotes.
Landscaping, Drainage and Water Runoff - Tobeginyourinspectionyouneedtolookatthelandscapinganddrainagearoundthefoundation.Youmayneedtohavesomeonegradethesoilsothatwaterwillrunoffawayfromyourhouse.Youshouldalsomakesurethatanyguttersanddownspoutswillbedivertedawayfromthefoundation.Landscapingplantedaroundthefoundationwillabsorbthewaterandstabilizethesoil.However,treesandshrubswithlargerootsystemscandamagethefoundation.
Cracks, Leaks, and Condensation - Smallhairlinecracksarecommonandnothingtoworryabout.However,cracksthatarewiderthan1/16ofaninchareimportant.Widercracksshouldbeinspectedbyaprofes-sionalbuildinginspectortodeterminethecauseofthecracking.Verticalorsteppingcracksusuallyarecausedbyseverewinterswherethegroundhasfrozenandexpanded,therebyputtingpressureonthefoundation.Crackingcanalsobecausedbya“settling”ofthefoundation.Settlingcrackswilloccurwhenthefoundationwasnotpouredonsolidground.Whenleaksoccurinthefoundation,theyaregenerallyfromimproperdrainageorcondensation.
Insects - Insectsareapotentialproblemtoconsiderwhenexaminingyourfoundation.Termites,wormsandantscanhideinyourhouseandcreateproblemsbeforeyoueverknowtheyare
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
7Home Exteriors
![Page 9: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
there.Theygenerallylikedarkanddampplacesthataredifficultforthenakedeyetodetect.Youshouldhaveanannualtermiteinspectiontoensurethatyoukeepyourhousefreeoftermitesandinsects.
FOUNDATION MAINTENANCE Low-lyingshrubsandgroundcover,likegrassormulch,willallowthesoiltodrainawayfromthefoundationandwillkeepthesoilaroundyourfoundationstable.Plantsshouldnotbeplantednexttowallsofyourhouse.Flowerbedsshouldbeplantedseveralfeetfromthehouse.Thisallowsforadequatedrainageofthesoilandlimitsthemoistureandcondensation. Smallhairlinecrackingcanbepreventedbykeepingthesoilaroundthefoundationasdryaspossible.Ifthefoundationwasproperlyinstalledandifthegroundsurroundingthefoundationdrainsproperly,crackingwillbeminimal. Anotherimportantelementistheventilationoffoundations.Ifyouhaveacrawlspaceorbasement,thisareashouldbeproperlyventilatedtopreventcondensationandthebuildupofmoisturebetweenthegroundandthesubflooring.Condensationoccurswhenthecoolfoundationismetbywarmerair.Properventilationcaneliminateconden-sationproblems.Ventsshouldbeleftopenduringthesummerandclosedshutduringthewinter. Thetreatmentandpreventionoftermitesisnotado-it-yourselfproject.Ittakesacompleteunderstandingandknowledgeofhowandwheretheinsectslive.Youshouldhireaproperlytrainedprofessionalexterminatortogetridoftheinsects.Thebestwaytokeepinsectsout
ofyourhouseistohireanexterminatortosprayforbugsonaregularschedule. Onceyoustarthavingfoundationproblems,itisdifficultandcostlytocorrectthem.Thesemeasuresaresimplemaintenancetipsthatcansaveyoufromexpensivefoundationrepairs.
EXTERIOR WALLS Theexteriorwallsandsidingofyourhouseshouldbeweathertighttopreventwaterdamageanddrafts.Peelingpaint,damagedshinglesandopenseamsinsidingandtrimarenotonlyunsightly,theyinviteseriousproblems.Propermaintenanceofyourexteriorwallswillhelpyouavoidcostlydamageoftheinnerwalls.Exteriorwallsaremadeupofframing,insulation,sheetingpaper,sidingandtrim.Eachitemplaysanimportantpartinmakingyourhouseweatherproofwhichwillkeepyoudryandwarminside.Thereareanumberofdifferenttypesofsiding:wood,vinyl,aluminum,brickandstone.Butthesimpletruthisthatsidingandtrimdonotlastunlesstheyarewellkeptonaregularbasis.
EXTERIOR WALL INSPECTIONS Nomatterwhattypeofsidingandtrimyoumayhaveonyourexteriorwallsyouneedtoinspectthewallsatleasttwiceayear.Yourprimaryconcernwillbedetectingareaswherewatermaygetthroughyourwalls.Inspectthewallsfromtoptobottomlookingcarefullyfordefectsinthesurface.Itmaybenecessarytouseascrewdriveronthesurfacetoseeifwoodisrotting.Pay
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
8 Home Exteriors
![Page 10: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
closeattentiontothewallsonthesouthandsoutheastsidesofthehouse.Thesewallsgetmoreexposuretosunandtovariationsintemperaturewhichmakethemmoreapttodeterioratequickly.Keepyournotepadhandysoyoucanrecordtheconditionsandanychangesintheexteriorwallsofyourhouse.
EXTERIOR WALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE Aspartofyourinspection,youshouldincluderoutinemaintenancethroughperiodiccleaning,caulking,paintingorstainingandanysimplepreventiverepairjobsonanas-neededbasis.
Cleaning -Oneofthesimplestmaintenancechoresforyourwallsistosimplyhosedownyoursidingandtrimtoremovedirtandgrime.Forbricksurfacesyoucanuseacarwashbrushthatattachestoahose.Thecombinationofgoodoldelbowgreasemixedwithwaterandabrushwilladdressmostbrickcleaningproblems.Withvinyl,aluminumandwoodsidingyoumayfinditnecessarytoscrubdownthedirtysurfaceswithacleaningsolution.Anyhardwarestorewillhavecleaningsupplies.Alwaysbesuretofollowdirectionsandcoveranyshrubsandplantsbeneathyourworkarea.Whileyouarecleaning,lookformildewonyourwalls. Youshouldcleanthemildewwithoneparthouseholdliquidbleachmixedwiththree-partswarmwater.Scrubthesurfaceandletitsoakfor15minutes.Thenuseagardenhoseandrinsethewallthoroughly.Ifthemildewremains,scrubthewallswithamixtureofwater
andpowderedlaundrydetergent.Remembertoprotectyourskinandeyesfromanycleaningsolution.
Caulking Openings -Caulkingandsealingopenjointsandseamsintheexteriorwallsshouldbeapriorityinyourroutinemaintenanceprogram.Openingswillallowmoisture,water,draftsandinsectstocreepintoyourhouse.Caulkingdriesoutovertime,sodon’tbesurprisedtofindyourselfcaulkingeachyear.Caulkingisasimpleprocessthatyoucanperformusingacaulkinggunandaputtyknife.Makesureyouareusingtherightkindofcaulkforwhatyouaresealing.Yourhardwarestorecanhelpyouselectthecorrectcaulk.Areasthattypicallyneedcaulkingarelistedbelow:
1. Windows and door frames
2. Brick and siding joints
3. Seal small foundations cracks
4. Cracks in siding
5. Trim and siding joints
6. Vents
7. Foundation and siding joints
Painting and Staining - Ifyoukeepthepaintonyourhouseingoodcondition,thejointsandseamswellcaulkedandthewallsurfacesclean,youwillgreatlyreducethechancesofwooddecayandmoisturegettingintoyourhouse.Paintwillblisterandpeelovertimeduetoexposuretosunandweather.Whenthisoccurs,youareallowingwatertogetintoyourhouse.
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
9Home Exteriors
![Page 11: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Thecorrectwaytorepaintasurfacethatisblisteringandpeelingistoscrapeoffalloftheloosepaint.Washtheareawithamilddetergent,thencleanoffthesurfaceandletitdrycompletely.Oncethesurfacehasdried,caulktheareasthatareneeded,resetloosenails,puttyoverholes,andpaintaprimercoatonallbaresurfaces.Againallowtheareatodry.Last,applytwocoatsofpaintbeingsurethateachcoatofpaintdriescompletely.Bypreparingthesurface,youwillextendthetimebetweenpainting. Ifyouhavemetalsiding,youwillneedtofollowthesameprocessexceptyouwilluseawirebrushtocleanthesurfaceofdirtandrust.Besuretouseametalprimerbeforeapplyingthetwocoatsofpaint.Paintingorstainingcombinedwithcaulkingwillkeepthewoodaroundtheexteriorofyourhousefromdecaying.Yourlocalhardwarestorecanadviseyouonthetypesofpaintsyouneedtouseforthetypeofsurfaceyouarepainting.
Brick and Mortar Repairs -Itisnotuncommonforthemortarbetweenbrickstocrack.Again,crackswillallowmoistureandwatertoseepintoyourhouse.Repairingmortarisasimpleprocessthatmostpeoplecando.Aswitheveryotherrepairprocess,besuretocleanthesurfaceproperly.Youcanremovethesmallparticlesbyflushingwithahoseorbyusingawirebrush.Mortarcanbepurchasedatanyhardwarestore.Youwillwanttomatchthecolorofyourmortar,soyoumaywanttotakeasamplewithyouwhenyougotothestore.Thenmixthemortarandwetthesurfacethatyouwillbefilling.Thenpressthemortarintothejointswithajointertool.Afterafewminutes,clean
theexcessmortarandallowthejointstodry.
A word of caution: Atthebottomofeachwallyouwillfindsmallopeningscalledweepholes.Theyaretheretoallowmoisturetoescape.Locatetheweepholesfirst,andthenbesuretoleavethemopensotheycanlettrappedmoistureescape. Aswithanypreventivemaintenance,beforemakingrepairstoyourexteriorwalls,find the source of the problem. Coveringupaproblemwillnotmaketheproblemgoaway.Thelongeraproblemexists,themoreitislikelytocostyoutorepair.Besuretogorighttothesourcebeforemakinganyrepairs.
ROOF AND GUTTERS Theroofandthedifferentpartsoftheroof,suchastheflashing,drains,guttersanddownspouts,cannotbeignoredyearafteryear.Justbecauseyoudon’thavevisibleleaksdoesn’tmeanthatyoudon’thaveproblems.Don’texpectyourrooftobeproblem-free.Propermaintenancecansignificantlyextendthelifeofyourroof. Toprovidethebestpreventivemaintenanceforyourroof,youshouldinspectyourroofatleasttwiceayear,onceinthespringandagaininthefall.Italsomakesgoodsensetoscanyourroofandguttersthroughouttheyear.Duringandafterarainstorm,youcantellifguttersareclearofdebrisandifyouhaveleaksaroundventsandfireplaces.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
10 Home Exteriors
![Page 12: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
ROOF AND GUTTERS INSPECTION Roof Covering -Shinglesarethemostcommonformofroofcovering;however,thetypeofcoveringwilldependontheslopeoftheroof.Youwillneedtoinspecttheshinglesfromtheground,ontopoftheroofandfromtheinteriorportionoftheraftersintheattic. Ifyoufindthattheshinglesarecurling,cracking,losingtheirgrainysurface,peelingawayfromtheroofand/orchangingcolor;thentheroofisshowingsignsofwear.Itmaybetimetogetanewroof. Whenyouperformyourinspectionintheattic,youwillneedtolookfordiscoloringofrafters,watermarksonthewallsanddecayingofwood.Waterleakscanbefromoldanddecayingshingles.Butmoreoftenthannot,leaksoccuraroundplumbingventpipes,chimneystructures,roofventsandroofvalleys.
Gutters and Downspouts -Oneofthemostoverlookedpreventivemaintenancemeasurestoyourroofisthecleaningofguttersanddownspouts.Guttersanddownspoutsfillupwithleaves,pineneedlesanddebris.Whentheguttersareclogged,thisgiveswaterthechancetoseepintocracksandbackupundertheroofingmaterial.Gutterswillalsospilloveronthegroundandcancausedamporwetbasementsandfoundations.Ifyouwanttolimityourcleaningtime,youcaninstallplasticorwirescreensoverthegutters.However,thescreenswillalsoneedsomecleaning.
Trees -Onethingmanypeopleoverlookwhenperformingaroutineinspectionisthelocationoftreesandbranchesaroundyourhouse.Treesandbranchesclosetothehouseorhangingoverthehousecanbeahazardtoyourroof.Duringicestormsorseverewindandrain,it’snotuncommonforbranchesortreestosnap,allowingthemtocrash
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
11Home Exteriors
![Page 13: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
ontopofyourroof.Keeptreesandbranchesclearofthehouse.
ROOF AND GUTTER MAINTENANCE
Wheninspectingyourroof,safetyisaprimaryconcern.Ifyouaregoingtochecktheroofyourself,makesuresomeoneiswithyouincaseofanaccident.Also,ifyouareelderlyorhandicapped,donotgetontopofyourroof.Getaprofessionaltoinspectyourroof. Ifyouhaveanyofthesignsofaroofwearingout(forexample:leaks,discoloring,orpeelingshingles),itmaybetimeforanewroof.Beforeyoucallarooferintomaketherepairs,youmightwanttogetanopinionfromacontractor.Hecangiveyouanideaofwhatneedstobedonetoyourroof.Roofsandroofrepairsareveryspecialized,soknowwhatyouaredoingorgetsomeonethatknowswhattheyaredoingwhenroofrepairsareneeded. Whenyouseethesignsofleaks,youneedtogetaprofessionaltodeterminetheproblem.Addressingtheproblemearlywilllimitthedamageandwillcostyouless.Remembertokeepyourguttersanddrainscleanedout.Thisisasimpleandinexpensivemeasurethatwillsavethelifeofyourroofandyourfoundation.Also,bykeepingthelimbsandtreestrimmedawayfromyourhouseyouloweryourriskofdamageduringstorms.
WINDOWS AND DOORS Windowsanddoorsareanimportantpartofanyhouse.Theyprovideaccess,lightingandventilationintoyourhome.Poorlyinstalledorpoorlymaintained
windowsanddoorswillcauseyoumanyproblems.Ifawindowordoordoesnotfitsnugly,thenitwillallowhotandcoldairtoenteryourhome.Properlyinstalledstormwindowsanddoorswillalsoprovideadditionalsecurity.Ifthestormwindowfits
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
12 Home Exteriors
![Page 14: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
looselyoriftheglassisbroken,thestormwindowoffersnobenefittoyourhouse.
WINDOWS AND DOORS INSPECTION Windowsarethebiggestsourceofheatloss.Loose-fitting,crackedormissingpanes,allowyourheattogooutthewindowduringthewinter.Caulkingandweatherstrippingaroundthewindowsareveryimportant.Caulkingsealscracksandgapsaroundwindowswhereframesmeetexteriorsiding.Sealingthecracksandgapsreducestherateofheatlossinadditiontokeepingmoistureoutofyourhouse. Weatherstrippingisusuallyinstalledonwindowswherethesashandframemeetandondoorswherethedoorandjambmeetalongthesidesandtop.Weatherstrippingismadeofbronze,aluminum,steelandrubberorplasticstrips.Weatherstrippingneedstobereplacedperiodically,particularlyinareasthatareusedmostfrequently. Youneedtoinspectallofyourwindowseveryspringandeveryfall.Checkthecaulkingandweatherstrippingaroundyourwindowandlookforcracked,missingorlooselyfittedwindows. Doorsnotonlyprovideyouaccessintoandoutofyourhouse,buttheyalsoprovideyouwithprotectionfromtheoutside.First,youneedtocheckyourdoorforoperation.Doesthedooropeneasily,doesthedoorclosecompletelyandwillthedoorlocksecurely?Thenyouneedtomakesurethatthedoorisnotcrackedormissinganypanes.Useascrewdrivertogentlycheckforrottenwood,looseputtyandflakingcaulk.
Whenyoufindtheseproblems,generallyitmeansthatthereissometypeofmoistureinyourwood.Youmaybeabletomakesomeoftheserepairsyourself.Ifyoudonotknowhowtomaketheserepairs,getacarpentertomaketheseimprovements. Aswithyourwindows,caulkingandweatherstrippingarealsoveryimportant.Doorsthatareusedmostfrequentlywillneedtobecaulkedandweatherstrippedmoreoften.Ifyourdoorisstilldrafty,thenyoumayhaveaproblemwithyourhousesettling.
WINDOWS AND DOORS MAINTENANCE
Inspectyourwindowsanddoorstwiceayear,onceinthefallandonceinthespring.Youwillneedtolookforandmakethefollowingrepairs:
1. Repair cracked, loose or broken glass.
2. Scrape and paint any peeling paint on all doors and windows.
3. Replace or repair missing, loose or deteriorated caulking.
4. Repair, tighten or replace any loose or missing storm windows.
5. Patch or replace the screenings on the windows.
YARDS Youryardisthefirstpartofyourhouseanyonesees.Soyouwillwanttomakesurethattheyardiscleaneduptogiveeveryoneagoodimpressionof
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
13Home Exteriors
![Page 15: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
yourhouse.Thereareanumberofotherimportantreasonsyouwillwanttokeepyouryardclean.Firstandforemost,bykeepingthedebrisandtrashpickeduparoundyourhouse,youkeepinsects,ratsandrodentsfromnestingandmakingnewhomes. Ifyouryardiswellmaintained,youalsoimprovethesafetyofyourhouse.Yardsthatareclutteredwithappliances,broken-downcarsandtrashareaneyesoretoneighbors.Astorageshedinthebackofyourhouse,whereyoucanstoreitems,isthesafestandcleanestwayforyoutokeepyouryardneat.
YARD MAINTENANCE TIPS Keeping the Yard Mowed -Youwillwanttokeepthegrasscutinyouryard.Duringthesummermonthsyardmaintenanceismoredemanding.Duringthefallyouwillwanttorakeormulchtheleaves.
Plants and Shrubs -Plantingflowerswilladdcolortoyouryard.Plantsandshrubsalsohelpstabilizethesoilaroundthefoundation.Whenplanting,besuretoallowsomedistancebetweenthefoundationandyourplants.Toomuchmoisturenexttothefoundationcandamageyourfoundation.
Trees and Limbs -Surveyyouryardfordeadlimbsandtrees.Theseshouldberemoved.Itmayrequireaprofes-sionaltreesurgeontodothis.However,youshouldn’thaveanyproblemmovingthelimbstotheproperplacefordisposal.Checkwithyourcityorcountytoseewhoisresponsiblefordisposaloftreeandlimbdebris. Youwillalsoneedtosurveyyourlivetrees.Treesthataretooclosetothehouseortreesthathangoverpowerlinesaredangerous,particularlyduringwindyandfreezingweather.Bytrimminglimbsandremovingdeadlimbsyouwillsaveyourselffromalotofproblems.
Storage -Keepyouryardfreefromdebris.Ifyouhaveoddsandendsinyouryard,keeptheminacoveredshedinthebackofyourhouse.Notonlywillthishelpeliminateunwantedratsandrodents,itwillkeepyourneighborshappy.
14 Home Exteriors
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
![Page 16: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Home Interiors
Home Interiors
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
Theinteriorwalls,ceilingsandfloorsofyourhouseformasurfacethatcoversthestructuralframe,plumbing,electricalsystem,heatingandcoolingductsandotherbuildingcomponentsthatwould
beunsightlyorhazardous.Thisiswhyitisimportanttoexaminetheinteriorofyourhouse.Forexample,aleakinyourplumbingcandamageyourwalls,foundationandelectricalsystem.
![Page 17: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
INTERIOR INSPECTIONS Sincethewalls,ceilingsandfloorscovertheareasyouareinspecting,youneedtouseyoursenseofsightandsmell.Youalsohavetotrainyourselftospotchangesovertime.Inspectionoftheinteriorofyourhouseshouldbeanongoingprocess.Asyoucleanyourhouse,lookforchangesinthelevelofthefloor,cracksinyourwalls,dampspotsonyourwallsandfloors.Whenyouthinkyouhavefoundanareathatmayhavechanged,taketheextratimetoexploretheproblem.Youwanttocatchaproblemearlybeforemoreextensivedamageisdonetoyourhouse.Thefollowingitemsaresomewarningsignsthatyoushouldexamineclosely.
Sagging Ceilings and Walls -Wheninspectingyourceilingandwalls,firstmakesureyourroomiswelllit.Thenlookcarefullyatyourceilingsandwalls.Saggingceilingsmaybeasignofloosewallboardorplasterandshouldbeinspectedmoreclosely.Bowedwallsmayindicateaweaknessinthestructuralframework.Minorlocalizedsaggingorsofteningofwallsorceilingsmayindicateawaterleakaboveorbehindthearea.Watertravelsalongtheframeworkofyourhouseandwillsettleinthelowestpoint.Aleakinoneareaofthehousemaybenoticedinanareathatisfarfromtheactualleak.
Cracks in Walls and Ceilings -Crackscomeinmanysizes,shapesandforms.Allcracksneedtobelookedattodeterminethecause.Veryfine,straightcracksthatareparalleltothewallsandceilingsgenerallyareofnogreatconcern.Theycanberepairedwith
aflexiblecaulkingandtouchedupwithpaint. Lookcloselywithamagnifyingglassatjointswheretwopiecesofwallboardcometogether.Normallythesejointsarecoveredwithpapertapeandlayersofjointcompound.Ifyoufindacrackatajoint,onlycosmeticrepairsarenecessary.Youwillneedtowatchtheareaovertimetoseeifitoccursagainandincreasesinsize. Cracksmaychangesizefromseasontoseasonasyourhomeexpandsandcontractswiththeweather.Ifthecracksgrowwiderovertime,youshouldcallaprofessionaltoinspectyourfoundation.Cracksatangles,jaggedcracksandopencracksneedtobelookedatmoreclosely.Ifthecracksoccuroverashortperiodoftime,lookforthesource.Poordrainageoutsideyourhomeorstandingwaterunderneathit,maybecausingthesoiltoheaveandshiftthebuilding.Animproperlyconstructedfoundationinafreezingclimatecouldbeanothercause.
Cracks in Floors -Cracksthatappearinconcreteslabfloorsorinrigidfloorcoveringssuchasceramictileshouldbecloselyanalyzed.Tracethecrackstotheoutsidewallwherethefaceofthefoundationisexposed.Hereyoucanseeifthecrackrunsupthewalloreventhroughthefoundationitself.Hairlinecracksarecommoninanyconcretestructure.However,ifthecrackiswiderthan1/8inch,itshouldbefurtherinspectedandaddressed.
Floor Squeaks and Buckling Floors -Woodfloorsarerarelysqueakfree.Sincegreen,unseasonedwoodisusedinnewconstruction,squeakscanoccurlaterwhenthewooddriesout.Squeaks
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
16 Home Interiors
![Page 18: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
areannoying,butrarelyasignofstructuralproblems. Floorswillbucklewhentheyareexposedtohighhumidityoriftheyarenotproperlyinstalled.Woodneedsadequateexpansionareas.Whenthisisnotprovided,thenthefloorwillbuckletogetthenecessaryspace.
Insect Damage -Inspectionforinsectdamageneedstobeanongoingeffort.Thebestwaytoaddressinsectdamageistopreventinsectdamage.Aprofes-sionalinspectionservicecaninspectyourhomeandperiodicallysprayforinsects.Onceyouspotinsectdamage,theinsectsarewellontheirwaytospreadingthroughoutyourhouse. Youshouldlookcloselyatexposedwoodbaseboards,trim,doorandwindowjambsthroughoutyourhome.Smalltanordarkbrownpelletsorasawdust-likematerialindicatesthepresenceofwooddamage.Drywoodtermiteslikedark,dampspaces.Again,thebestwaytopreventinsectdamageistohaveyourhouseprofessionallyservicedonanannualbasis.
Sight and Smell Senses -Asyouinspectyourhome,paycloseattentiontowhatyournoseandeyesaretellingyou.Amusty,damp,staleodorshouldbetrackedatonce.Checkthecrawlspaceorbasementformoistureordampsoil.Lookandsmellinsideclosetstodeterminewhethertheyareadequatelyventilated.Checkforleakypipes.Showerwaterthatiscontinuallysplashedontothefloorcanleakthroughcracksandcausethefloororsubflooringtorot. Checkthewallsbehindfurnitureandpicturesthatarenotfrequentlymoved.Lookformoldandmildew.Thisisa
signofmoistureorpoorventilation.Ifyourcarpetsmells,thepaddingmaybeabsorbingmoisture.Pullbackyourcarpettoinspectthepaddingandfloorforrustspotsorfungalgrowth.Ifthecarpetingfallsapartwhenyoupullatit,youhaveaseriousmoistureproblem. Useyoureyestosurveyforwaterleaksinyourceilings,wallsandfloors,particularlyaroundbaseboards.Awaterstaintypicallyappearsasadarkringofdiscolorationaroundanaffectedarea.Asmentionedearlier,waterwillmovealongtheframeworkofahousetothelowestpoint. Whenaceilingstainoccursbelowanattic,checkforleaksintheatticplumbinganduseastrongflashlighttoinspecttheroofframe.Besureandcheckthecaulkingaroundwindowsanddoors.Ascaulkinggetsolder,itwillcrackandseparate,allowingwatertoseepthroughintotheinteriorofyourhouse.
INTERIOR MAINTENANCE TIPS Whenyouseechangesinyourwalls,ceilingsandfloors,youshouldtakethetimetogivethemsomeimmediateattention.Herearesomeinteriormaintenancetipsthatwillhelpeliminatesomemajorandcostlyrepairsinthefuture.Usecommonsensewhenspottingchangesinyourhouse.Themostimportantmaintenancetipistokeep a clean house, free from trash and debris.
Ceilings -Ceilingsthatarenewlyinstalledgenerallyneedverylittleattention.However,ifyouseecracksandwaterstainstheyneedtobelookedinto
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
17Home Interiors
![Page 19: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
immediately.Mostcracksarehairlinecracksanddonotrepresentaseriousproblem.Thesetypesofcrackscanbeeasilypatchedandpainted.Remember,everycrackneedstobeinvestigatedtoseeifitrepresentsamoreseriousproblem.
Walls -Mostwalldamageiscausedbysimplephysicalabuse.Youcanpreventaproblembypayingspecialattentiontothecareofyourwalls.Wallsneedtobeperiodicallycleanedbyanonabrasivehouseholdcleaningproduct.Youshouldfindoutthetypeofpaintusedonyourwallsandmakesurethatyourcleaningsolutionissuitableforthesurface.Ifyoupaintyourwalls,thenyoushouldbesuretousethetypeofpaintthatissuitableforyourwalls.Youcanalwaysuseoilbasedpaintoveranytypeofpaint.However,youcannotpaintwaterbasedpaintoveroilbasedpaint. Structuralproblemswithwallsareindicationsofamoreseriousproblemwithintheinteriorwallsorthefoundationofthehouse.Whenaproblemisdiscovered,itisimportanttodeterminethecauseoftheproblem.Thismayrequireaprofessionalinspectororcontractortolookintotheproblem.
Floors -Floorsshouldbemaintainedbyregularcleaningandvacuuming.Regularcleaningcanextendthelifeofyourfloor.Atrouble-freefloordependsongoodsubflooringandtheinstallationofthesubflooring.
Odors and Mildew -Youcandoalottocontrolmildewandmustydoors.Checkallventilatingsystemsinthecrawlspacesandattic.Replaceventscreensthathavebecomecloggedbydebris
orpaint.Closetsmaybecomemustyduetopoorcirculation.Louvereddoorsincreaseaircirculationandwillhelpkeepyourclosetssmellingfresh.Placeyourfurnitureseveralinchesawayfromthewalltoallowventilation.Ifyourbasementorcrawlspacehasadirtfloor,trysealingtheexposedearthwithasheetofplastic.Thiswillactasavaporbarrierandwillalsokeepmoistureoutofyourhouse.
Stairways -Stairwaysareareaswhereaccidentsfrequentlyoccur.Makesurethathandrailsaresecurelyattachedtothewallsandextendthelengthofthestairs.Eachstepshouldbethesamedepthanddistanceapart.Whenastairwayhasstepsofdifferentheights,youareaskingfortrouble.Keepdebrisclearedoffthestairstopreventtripping.
Bathrooms and Kitchens -Bathroomsandkitchensneedextraattentionbecauseoftheconstantpresenceofmoisture.Useastrongflashlighttochecktheplumbingunderthesinks.Checkbehindrefrigeratorstomakesurethatwaterisnotrunningoutofyourrefrigeratorandrottingyourfloor.Asponginessordiscolorationofthefloorcoveringaroundthetoiletcouldmeanaleakinthesealwhereitconnectstothefloor.Lookfordamagedormissingcaulkingbetweenthetub,sinks,toiletsandthewallsandfloors.Jointsbetweenbathroomwallsandsinks,bathtubsorshowersrequirecaulking.Itcannotbeoveremphasizedthatcaulkingisasimpleandinexpensivemethodofmoistureproofingthatcansaveyouhundredsofdollarsinlaterrepairs. Thekitchencookingareasneedinspectionaboutonceamonth.Checkyourrangeventilatorhoodforgrease
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
18 Home Interiors
![Page 20: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
build-upandkeepitclean.Thiswillreducetheriskoffireduetogreasebuild-up.Lightbulbscoveredwithgreaseshouldbecleanedorreplaced.
Smoke Alarms -Eachhouseshouldhaveatleastonesmokealarm.Ifyouhavemorethanoneleveltoyourhouse,youshouldhaveonesmokealarmforeachlevel.Youshouldlocateasmokealarmineachbedroom.Smokealarmsoperateonbatteriesoronelectricity.Ifyouusebatteries,thenyouwillneedtochangeyourbatteriestwiceayear.Smokealarmsareessentialtothehealthandsafetyofyourhome.
Who Should Do the Work? -Normalroutineinspectionandmaintenancewilleliminatetheneedforacostlyprofes-sionalinmostcases.Byaddressingaproblemorpotentialproblemearlyon,youmaybeabletomakesomeoftherepairsyourself.Thelongeraproblemgoesunattended,themorecostlyandmoreinvolveditwillbetosolve.
Mostofthehomemaintenancetipspresentedherecanbedonebyyouorsomeonethatishandywithrepairs.Structuralproblemsoftenrequireaprofessionaltomakethenecessaryrepairs. Whenusingaprofessional,besuretogetafixedpricebeforetheystartthework.Youshouldaskforreferencesfromthehomerepairprofessionalandcheckthereferences.Makesureyouhaveawrittencontractwhenworkingwithacontractor.Thatwayeveryonewillhaveagoodunderstandingoftheworktobeperformed.Oncetheybegintheworkandanychangesareneeded,makesureyouknowthecostofthechanges.Ifyouarepayingforsomeoneelsetodothework,itshouldbequalityworkthathe/shewillstandbehind.
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
19Home Interiors
![Page 21: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Plumbinginyourhouseislargelytakenforgranteduntilyouhaveproblems.Ifyouhavejusthadyourhouserehabilitatedorreconstructed,anyplumbingproblemsshouldhavebeenaddressed.Whenyoustarthavingsmallproblems,thisisacluethatyourplumbingsystemneedssomemaintenance.Beforeyoucaninspect
yourplumbing,youneedtohaveagoodunderstandingofyourplumbing. Theplumbinginyourhouseismadeupofthreedifferentsystems:awatersupplysystem,adrain-wastesystemandaventsystem.Allthreesystemsdependonyourwatersourceandthecapacityofyourwatersource.
PlumbingPlumbing
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
![Page 22: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM Ifyouareonapublicwatersystem,thenyoupayamonthlywaterbillandtheutilitycompanyisresponsibleforprovidingyouwithwater.Yourrespon-sibilitybeginsatthepropertyline.Theutilitycompanywillbringthewatertoyourproperty,thenyouareresponsibleforthewatergettingintoyourhouse. Ifyouareonapublicwatersystem,thewatershouldenteryourhouseat20to80psi(poundspersquareinch).Ifyourwaterpressureislow,youneedtocheckwiththeutilitycompanytoseeifithasadequatesizedlineswiththerightamountofpressuretoserveyourhome.Ifyouliveinanolderhome,thewaterlineleadingintothehousemaybeundersizedorcorrodedfromage.Ifthisisthecase,youmayneedtoreplacethelineleadingintoyourhouse. Somehomesmayuseawelltoprovidewater.Undergroundwaterispumpedintoapressuretank.Asyourhousedemandswater,thewaterispumpedintothehouseandthepressuretankisrefilled.Ifyouuseawell,thenperiodicallyyouwillneedtohaveyourwellprofessionallyinspected. Ifyouhaveproblemswithyourwatersupply,hireaprofessionaltoinspectandmaintainyourwaterlines.Takenoteofyourwaterbill.Ifyourwaterbillissuddenlyhigher,youcouldhavealeakintheground.Also,ifyourwaterbillgraduallyincreases,youcouldhaveasmallleakinthehouse.Remember,whenyouwaterplantsinthesummer,youpayfortheextrawater. Whenyouhaveproblemswithdeliveryofwatertoyourhouse,callyourutilitycompanyandaskthemtoinspectthelines.Keepinmindthatyouare
responsibleformaintainingthewaterlineonyourproperty.
The Water Supply Piping -Mostwatersupplylinesaremadeupofgalvanizediron,copper,brassorplasticpipe.Olderhomesmayuseleadpipesormayhaveusedleadjointstoconnectthepipes.Ifyouliveinanolderhome,youmaywanttohaveyourwatertestedforhighlevelsoflead. Ifyourhousecontainsgalvanizedironpiping,thereisagoodchancethatyourlineshavesomedecayontheinsideofthewaterline.Thatcanbeoneofthereasonsforproblemswithwaterpressureandwaterdelivery.Galvanizedpipeshavealifeexpectancyofabout30years.Ifyouareexperiencingdifficultyinwaterdelivery,youwillwanttohaveaprofessionallookatyourwaterlines. Plasticpolyvinylchloride(PVC)pipescanlastaverylongtimesincerustordecaywillnotbuildup.However,yourlocalcodesmaylimittheuseofPVC.IfPVCisexposedtocoldweather,itwillneedtobeinsulatedtopreventcracking.Again,youwillwantaprofessionaltoinspectandinstallyourPVCpipes.
Water Shutoff Valves -Whenwaterpipesbreakorleak,thedamagetoyourhomecanbeverycostly.Ifyouknowhowtoshutoffyourwatersupply,youcanpreventfurtherdamagetoyourhouse.Thereareseveralfixturesthathavetheirownshutoffvalvesuchastoilets,sinks,waterheatersandwasherconnections.Theseshutoffvalvesaregenerallylocatedbehindorbeneaththefixture.Inanycase,youcanalwaysshutoffthewateratthemeterandthiswillshutoffallwaterleadingintothehouse. Youshouldtakethetimetofamiliarize
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
21Plumbing
![Page 23: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
yourselfwiththeexactlocationoftheshutoffvalvesforyourhouse.Youneedtochecktoseeifatoolisneededtoassistyouinshuttingoffthewater.Inspectyourshutoffvalvestomakesuretheyarefullyopened.Thenrecordtheexactlocationofyourshutoffvalvesinthespacesprovidedinthefrontofthisguide.
DRAIN-WASTE SYSTEM Usedwaterandwastearecarriedtopublicsewagelinesortoyourseptictanksystem.Oneofthemostfrequentproblemswithyourplumbingsystemisstoppedorslow-drainingfixturesandappliances.Thebestwaytopreventproblemswithyourdrainagesystemistolimitthedebrisyouputinyourdrain. Eachdrainshouldbesealedoffbyatrap.Thetrappreventsgaseousodorsfromcomingbackintoyourhouse.Ifyouhaveasourorsewagesmellinyourhouse,youcanpoursomewaterdownthedrain.Thiswillcausethetraptodraintheliquidandcreateasealbetweenthedrainandyoursewersystem.Iftheodorcontinues,thenyouwillwanttohaveaprofessionallookatyourdrains.
VENT SYSTEM Ventingisnecessarytomaintainequalpressureinyourplumbingsystem
andtomakesurethatanysewergasesescapetotheoutsideofyourhouse.Allplumbingfixturesmustbeventedtotheoutside.Someventswillleadtotheroofwhileotherventswillruntothesideofthehouse.Anewerhousemayhaveonemainventthatconnectstoallthefixtures.It’simportanttokeeptheventsclearofdebris.Smallanimalsandbirdscanbuildnestsinvents.Awirecoveringisalwaysaneasywaytopreventthis.Ventsshouldbecheckedtwiceayeartomakesurethattheydonotbecomeclogged.
PLUMBING INSPECTIONS Manyelementsofyourplumbingcanbeinspectedbyyou,thehomeowner.Ifyoudonotfeelcomfortableinspectingyourplumbing,askafriendorneighbortohelporcallalicensedplumber.Donotconfusetheplumbingpipeswithgaslinesorwarm-waterheatingsystems.
The Water Supply Pipes -First,locateyourwatershutoffvalve.Thiscanbelocatedinabasement,crawlspaceoroutsidethehouse.Knowwhereyourwatermeterisandhowtoshutoffthewaterpipesatthemainwaterline. Next,noticethetypeofwaterlinesinstalledinyourhouse.Makesurethatthewaterlinesaresupportedbyfloorjoistsorwallstuds.Pipesrunningunderthefloorjoistsshouldbeconnectedtothejoistsbypipestraps.Dependingonthetypeofpipe,youshouldhavepipestrapsevery3or5feet. Obviously,asyouinspectyourhouseyouwillneedtolookforanytypeofleaks.Donotconfusesweatingpipeswithleaks.Ifyouhaveawetpipe,wipe
22 Plumbing
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
![Page 24: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
thepipeoffwithatowel.Ifthepipeisleaking,itwillstartdrippingimmediately.Ifapipeiswetfromcondensation,itwilltaketimetogetwetagain. Whilelookingatyourwaterpipes,makeanoteofanypipesthathavebeenpatched.Patchedpipesshouldbecheckedperiodicallyforleaks,orreplacedwithnewpipes.Ifyourbasementorcrawlspaceisnotheated,thepipesshouldbeinsulatedorwrappedwithelectricalheatingcabletopreventfreezing.Thisisespeciallyimportantwhenpipesarelocatednearwindows,foundationvents,orwallsthatarenotinsulated.
Exterior Faucets -Ifyouhaveexteriorfaucets,youneedtohavefrost-prooffaucetsorhaveastop-and-wastevalvetopreventfreezing.Bothtypesoffaucetscanbeboughtatyourlocalhardwarestore.Youmayneedaprofessionaltoinstallthefaucet,orsomeonethatknowsplumbing.Anotheralternativeistoinstallashutoffvalveonthewaterlineleadingtotheoutsidefaucet.Duringthecoldweathermonths,it’salwaysagoodideatodrainyourhosesandstoretheminadry,warmarea.Thiswillkeepyourhosefromcrackingandextendthelifeofyourhose.
The Water Heater -Youwillneedtoinspectyourwaterheateronaregularbasis.Toinspectthewaterheateryoushouldstartatthehotandcoldwaterlinesattachedtothetank.Carefullytoucheachpipetodistinguishthehotwaterandcoldwaterlines.Makesurethatmetalpipinghasbeenusedforatleastthefirst12inchesabovetheheater.Checkforcorrosionorleakageatthepipejoints.
Locatetheshutoffvalveonthecoldwaterlineleadingintothetank.Next,checkthepressureandtemperaturereliefvalvestomakesuretheymatchthetankspecificationsusuallyfoundonthesideofthewatertank.Carefullyinspecttheoutermetaljacketforrustorsignsofleakage.Aleakingwaterheateralmostalwayshastobereplaced.Useatoweltomakesureitisaleakandnotconden-sationthathaswettheoutsideofthetank. Makesureyourwaterheaterislocatedinadrippan.Incaseofaleakinthewaterheater,thiscanlimitthedamagedonetoyourhouse.Yourwaterheatermustbeventedtotheoutsideofyourhouse.Thisisparticularlyimportantwithgaswaterheatertanks.
Drains and Sewage Pipes -Locatethedrainagepipesinyourhouse.Theycanbeeasilyfoundbylisteningfor
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
23Plumbing
![Page 25: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
runningwater.Drainsandsewagepipesshouldhaveagradualslopetoallowthewatertorundownthepipeandnotgetbackedup.Pipesshouldbesecurelyfastenedtofloororwallsevery4to5feet.Carefullycheckforleaksunderwaterfixturessuchastoilets,sinksandwashingmachines.Allleaksshouldberepairedimmediately. Useastrongflashlighttocheckallthedrainsunderthesinks.Testasinkdrainforleaksbyrunningwaterintothesinkandwatchingasthesinkdrains.Asthewaterdrainsfromthesink,listenforagurglingsound.Thiswillindicatethatthedrainisnotproperlyvented. Ifyouhaveaslowdrain,thisindicatesyourdrainlinesneedcleaning.Ifyouhaveaslowdrainoracloggeddrain,youmaybeabletofixthisproblem.First,trypouringboilinghotwaterdownthedrain.It’sagoodideatodothiseveryweek.Thiswilleliminatebuildupinthedrain.Ifthedrainstilldoesnotdrainproperly,youcanuseaplumber’splungeroraplumber’ssnake.Ifyouuseachemicalcleanertocleanyourdrain,readtheinstructionsverycarefully.Chemicalcleanerswillburnyourskinandcancausepermanentdamagetoyourbody.Remember,youcanalwayscalla
professionaltocleanyourdrains.
The Vent System -Inspectingforventsbeginsoutsideyourhouse.Youshouldhaveventsprotrudingthroughtherooforalongthewallsofyourhouse.Ventsshouldbecappedtopreventcloggingfromoutsidedebrisandtokeepanairtightsealbetweentheinsideandtheoutside.Asimplewirescreenwillkeepsmallanimalsandbirdsfromnestinginyourvent. Continueyourinspectionoftheventsontheinsideofthehouse.Whenvisible,makesurethatventsareproperlyconnectedsothattheairwillventtotheoutside.Donotallowventstostopinyourbasementorcrawlspaces.Ventsmustendoutsideofyourhouse.Thisisveryimportantsincesewerscreatevaporsthancanbedeadly.Thesameistruewithagasfurnaceorgashotwaterheater.Makesurethattheyventallthewaytotheoutside.
Sewer Systems -Yourhomeshouldbeconnectedtoeitherthepublicsewersystemortoaseptictankinyouryard.Ifyouareonpublicsewer,youareresponsibleforgettingthesewerlinesfromyourhousetoyourpropertyline.Atthatpointtheutilityagencyisresponsiblefortransportingthesewage.Ifsewerlinesbecomeclogged,sewagecanbackupintoyourhouse.Whenthishappensyouhaveaveryserioushealthandsafetyproblem.Again,getalicensedplumbertocorrecttheproblem. Ifyouhaveaseptictank,youneedtoknowitslocation.Locatetheseptictankandthedrainfields.Thesizeoftheseptictankandthedrainfieldlinesdependontheintendeduseoftheseptictankandthetypeofsoilinwhichthe
24 Plumbing
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
![Page 26: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
drainfieldislocated.YourCountyHealthDepartmentcaninspectyourseptictankanddrainfieldtoseeiftheyareproperlysized. Ifyouhavebothaseptictankandawell,theseptictankdrainfieldandthewellshouldbeatleast50feetapart.Whensewageseepsintoyourwellyouhaveaveryserioushealthandsafetyproblem. Periodically,youwillneedtocleanoutyourseptictank.Ifyousmellfoulodorsinyouryardorhouseandifthegroundovertheseptictankorfilllinesaresoggyyouneedtohaveyourseptictankinspected.Youwillwanttouseaprofessionalseptictankpumpingservicetopumpoutyourseptictank.
PLUMBING MAINTENANCE TIPS Mosthomeownerscanperformtheroutineinspectionsandmaintenancetasksnecessarytokeeptheirplumbingingoodshape.Whenyougetintomoreseriousmatters,youshouldcallalicensedprofessionalplumber.Herearesomeverybasicbuthelpfultipsthatcanpreventsomemajorandcostlyplumbingproblems.
Shutoff Valves -Locateyourshutoffvalvesothatyoucangorighttothevalveincaseofemergency.Onceayearturnthevalvecompletelyoff.Thenopenthevalvecompletelyandturnthevalveonequarterofaturnback.Thiswillpreventthevalvefromcorrodingandgettingstuckintheopenposition.
Water Heaters -Everysixmonthsdrainafewgallonsfromthewaterheatertopreventtheaccumulation
ofsediment.Refertoyourownersmanualforinstructionsondrainingyoursystem.Also,inspectthepressureandtemperaturereliefvalvesforoverflows.Again,refertoyourownersmanualtoseeiftheyareoperatingattheirdesignatedspecifications.Ifyouhaveagaswaterheater,aprofessionalshouldchecktomakesurethatitisventedproperly.
Drains and Vents -Eachmonthyoushouldcheckthepop-updrainsandstrainersinyoursinks.Checkthehotandcoldfaucetstomakesurethattheywillclosecompletely.Ifyouhavealeakatthehandle,it’sprobablyawornoutwasherthatneedsreplacing.Remember,ifyoudoanyworkonawaterfixture,youshouldshutoffthewatereitheratthefixtureoratthemainwatershutoffvalve. Beforewintercomesyoushouldmakesurethattheoutsidefaucetsareshutofforprotected.Coldweathercreatesaboomingbusinessforplumbers.Makesureanyexposedpipesorpipesthatarenotinaheatedroom,areproperlyinsulated.Inverycoldweather,youmaywanttoleaveafaucetdripping.Thiswillkeepthewaterinthepipesmovingandwillkeepthewaterfromfreezing.Freezingcausespipestoexpand.Whenthewaterthaws,olddecayingpipeswillburst.Whenthishappens,youshouldturnoffthewaterleadingintothehouseandcallalicensedplumber. Makeahabitofrunningveryhotwaterdownyourdrainonaregularbasis.Thiswillhelpmovealonganydebristhathasgottencloggedorbuiltupinyourdrain.Ifyousmellgaseousodorsinyourhouse,pourwaterdownthedrainandthenchecktheventing.
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
25Plumbing
![Page 27: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Water Supply -Ifyouareapublicwatercustomerandyouhavelowwaterpressureoralimitedwatersupplyduringtheday,reporttheproblemtotheutilityagency.Iftheutilityagencycannotcorrecttheproblem,youmayfirstneedtoreplaceyouwaterlinefromthewatermetertothehouse.Thenreplacethewaterlinesinyourhouse.Checkwithnearbyneighborstoseeiftheyarehavingwaterpressureorwatersupplyproblems. Ifyouareonawellandyouhavediscoloredwater,limitedwatersupplyorparticlesinyourwatersystem,youneedtohaveyourwellinspected.Wellscandryupovertimeandduringdryweatherperiods.Also,checktomakesurethatyourwellandseptictankareproperlyspaced. Ifyouhaveproblemswithdiscoloredwater,waterthatsmellsorwaterthattastesfunny,youshouldhaveyourwatertested.Privatelabs,utilityagencies,andsomeCountyHealthDepartmentscanprovidethisserviceforafee.Callthelabwhereyouaregoingtohaveyourwatertestedandaskthemtoinstructyouabouttheproperprocedureforcollectingthesample.
HIRING A PROFESSIONAL Whenyouhaveplumbingproblemsthatarebeyondroutinemaintenancerepairs,youmayneedtocallonaprofessionallicensedplumber.Plumberscanbeexpensive.Theyshouldbelicensedandshouldhaveliabilityinsurance.Youmaywanttoaskafriendorrelativetosuggestsomeonetheyhaveused.Don’thesitatetoaskforreferencesanddon’thesitatetogetbidsfromseveralplumbers.Mostplumberswill
chargeafeeformakinganinitialvisit.Ifyouaregoingtogetbidsfromseveralplumbers,checkwiththembeforetheymakethetriptoyourhouse.Toprotectyourself,youshouldhaveawrittenagreementfortheworktobeperformed. Eventhoughwerecommendthatyouperformroutinemaintenancetasks,itmaybenecessarytocallaplumberforcertainitems.Ifyouarenotcomfortablewithperformingroutinemaintenance,thenyoushouldcallaplumber.Youwillhavespentlessmoneyonensuringthatyourplumbingsystemisproperlymaintainedratherthanwaitingtocallsomeonewhenyouhaveadisaster.Usecommonsensewithyourroutinemaintenanceandwithnecessaryrepairsthatoccuroveraperiodoftime.
26 Plumbing
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
![Page 28: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Electricityisanessentialutilitythatoperatesthemajorityofourappliances,ourlightingand,insomecases,ourheatingandcoolingsystems.Itisautilitythatwehavelearnedtodependon,andwefinditmostaggravatingwhenourelectricalserviceisinterrupted.All electrical work and inspections should be performed by a licensed electrician only.Workingonyourelectricalcircuitryisdangerousandcanbedeadlyeventosomeonewhounderstandshowelectricityworks. Eventhoughwedonotrecommendthatyouworkonanyelectricalimprovements,therearesomethingsaboutelectricityyoushouldunderstand.Youneedtoknowhowandwhereelectricityentersyourhouse.Doesyourelectricityenterthehousethroughanoverheadwireordoesitenteryourhousethroughanundergroundconduit?Theelectriccompanyisresponsibleforprovidingelectricitytothemeter.Oncetheelectricitypassesthroughtheelectricmeter,itbecomesyourrespon-sibility.Theelectricityisthentiedintoanelectricalservicepanel.Onceinsidetheelectricalservicepanel,electricityis
Electrical System
Electrical System
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
![Page 29: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
distributedtothedifferentcircuitswithinyourhouse.
ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS Yourinspectionofyourelectricalsystemwillbeentirelyvisual.Donotinsertorprobeanytypeoftoolintoanyelectricalpanelorconnection.
Service Entrance -Ifyoureceiveyourelectricalservicefromanoverheadwire,youneedtomakesurethattheservicelineisproperlyconnectedintothehouse.Theelectricalcableshouldbehighenoughthatnoonecanreachitfromthegroundorfromanyattachedsteps.Youwillalsowanttomakesurethatthecableisnotinthepathofanyfallinglimbs.Duringicestormsandheavywindandrains,itisnotuncommonforatreeorsomebranchestofall.Anelectricalcablewillnotholdafallingtree.Instead,thecablewillsnaporbepulledawayfromthehouse.Whenthishappens,youarewithoutelectricityuntiltheelectricalcompanycanrestoretheline. Mostresidentialservicehas240voltpower.Ifyourhomeisolder,youmayhave120volts.Youmightconsiderupdatingyourelectricalcircuits.Again,thisisajobforaprofessionalelectrician.
Electrical Service Panel -Itismostimportantthatyouknowwhereyourelectricalservicepanelislocated.GotothesectioninthisHomeMaintenanceGuideforimportantnumbersandnotesandwritedownwheretheelectricityentersyourhouse. Withintheelectricalservicepanelyouwillfindbreakersorfusesthatprotecttheelectricalcurrentagainstshortcircuits.
Youwillalsoseeamainelectricaldisconnectswitchthatwillturnoffallelectricitycomingintothehouse.Oncetheelectricityenterstheservicepanelitisthenbrokendownintocircuitsthatprovideelectricitytospecificappliancesorareasofyourhouse.Makesurethateachbreakerorcircuitislabeledastowhereitisprovidingelectricity. Whenacircuitbecomesoverloadedwithelectricaldemand,thebreakerwilldisconnect.Whenthisoccurs,youshouldfirstturnofftheappliancesandlightsinthatcircuit.Thengotoyourelectricalservicepanelandfindwhichswitchhasbeendiscon-nected.Reconnectorflipthecircuittoseeiftheelectricityisrestoredtothatparticularcircuit.Ifyouflipthecircuitanditdisconnectsorflipsbackyouhaveoverloadedyourcircuit.Trynottooverloadyourcircuits.Alwaysusecommonsensewhendealingwithelectricity.
28 Electricity
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
![Page 30: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Youwillalsowanttoinspectyourelectricalservicepaneltomakesureitisgrounded.Theservicepanelshouldbegroundedeitherintothegroundorattachedtoametalcold-watersupplypipe.Homesbuiltsince1978arerequiredtohavebothgroundingconnections.Groundingreducesthechancesofshock,fireordamagetoappliancesandmotorsandhelpsprotectyourhousefromlightning.
Electrical Wiring -Electricalwiringshouldbeconcealedbehindthewall.However,sometimesitisnecessarytorunelectricalwiringoutsideofthewall.Whenthisoccurs,allwiringmustberunthroughaconduittoprotectthewiring.Youshouldalsonoticethataswiringbecomesolditwillcrackandexposethemetalinsidethewirethatconductstheelectricity.Thisold,faultywiringisafirehazardandshouldbereplaced.Donotattempttoreplaceanywiringyourself.Alicensedprofessionalelectricianunderstandsthecurrentandcircuitrequirements.Eachyearwereadaboutnumerousfiresthathavebeenstartedduetofaultywiringthatcouldhavebeenprevented.
Room-by-Room Inspections -Asyouconductyourroom-by-roominspection,noticetheelectricalplugs.Sincethe1960s,buildershavebeeninstallingoutletswhereoneslotislargerthantheother.Youwillalsonoticethatmanufacturersaremakingoneprongofanelectricalpluglarger. TheGFCIoutletisanotheroutletdesignedtoprotectpeoplefromsevereelectricshock.Itmonitorsthecurrentanddisconnectsthecircuitifitsensesonimbalanceintheelectricalcurrent.
GFCIoutletsarerequiredinbathrooms,kitchenswithin6feetofasinkandoutdoors.YouwillknowifyouhaveaGFCIoutletbecausetherewillbearedbuttonlabeledtestandresetorTandR.YoushouldtestyourGFCIatleastonceamonthbypressingthetestbuttonandresettingit. Youcantesteveryoutletinyourhousebyusingacircuittesterorasmalllamp.Acircuittestercanbepurchasedatanyhardwarestore.Acircuittesterindicatesifanoutlethasenergyandifitiscorrectlywired.Again,ifyouhaveelectricalproblems,don’tattempttomakethecorrectionyourself.Callalicensedprofessionalelectriciantodoyourelectricalimprovements. Asyouinspecteachroom,checkthelightswitchesandthelightfixturesbyturningtheswitchesonandofftoseeiftheyoperateproperly.Ifyouhaveanylightfixturesthathavehangingcordsfromtheceiling,checkthewiringveryclosely.Ifthewiringand/orinsulationaroundthewiringiscracked,youneedtohaveitreplaced. Extensioncordscanalsobeahazard.Ifyouhavetousethem,yourhomeprobablyrequiresadditionalelectricaloutlets.Extensioncordsshouldneverbesecuredwithnailsorstaples,runthroughwalls,underdoorsorundercarpets.Also,thesizeofthewireofanextensioncordshouldneverbethinnerthanthecordoftheapplianceitserves.
ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE Checkyourmonthlyelectricbillforsubstantialincreases.Remember,youarebilledontheamountofelectricityused. The best way to reduce your electric bill is to reduce the amount of
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
29Electricity
![Page 31: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
electricity used. Simplethingsthatwillhelpareturningoffthelightswhenyouleavearoomandturningoffapplianceswhennotinuse.Also,rememberthatheatingandcoolingwithelectricitywillsubstantiallyincreaseyourelectricbill.Ifyoustillthinkyourelectricbillishigh,youcancontacttheelectriccompanyandhavethemcheckthemeter. Thereareseveralthingsthatyouwillneedtocheckfromtimetotime.Everyspringorfallyouwillneedtochecktheoverheadservicelinethatconnectstoyourhouse.Makesurethattreesandlimbsareasafedistanceawayfromtheline.Ifyouneedtoprunetreesaroundtheoverheadserviceline,contactaprofessionaltreepruningserviceor,insomecases,yourelectricutilitycompanywilltrimuponrequest. Checkyourelectricalservicepaneltomakesureyoucanlocatethepanel.Onceayearyoushouldexercisethebreakersbyflippingthemoffandonbyhandtomakesurethattheywilltripwhennecessary.
Overloadedcircuitsareoftenindicatedbyflickeringordimminglightswhenappliancesareturnedonandbyfrequentlyblowingfusesortrippingcircuitbreakers.Ifyoufrequentlytripthecircuitbreakers,thismayindicatethatyoudonothaveadequateserviceforyourelectricaldemand,orthatyouareoverloadingthatoneparticularcircuit.Trymovingappliancesandlightstootheroutlets. Onceagain,ifyouneedelectricalmaintenanceorelectricalwork,hireaprofessionallicensedelectrician.Electricityisacomplicatedutility,andyouwillwantsomeonethatunderstandshowitworks.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
30 Electricity
![Page 32: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Heating/Air-Conditioning
Systems
Heating/Air-Conditioning
Systems
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
Heatingahouseisessentialduringcoldweather.Ifyourhouseisnotheated,thenalltheothersystemsinyourhouseareatrisk.Pipeswillfreeze,electriccircuitswillbecomeoverloaded,andyouareputtingyourselfatrisk.Ifyourecentlyhadyourhouserehabil-itatedoranewhousewasconstructed,yourheatingsystemshouldbeadequateforthesizeofyourhouse.Aswithyourelectricalsystem,theinspectiononyourheatingsystemshouldbeconductedbyaprofessionallylicensedheatingandair-conditioningcompany.However,youcanuseyoursightandsmellforinspectionsandtodetectproblems.
HEATING INSPECTION Therearemanydifferenttypesofheatingsystemsbuteachsystemisbasedonthetypeofenergyyouuse.Determinewhattypeofheatingsystemyouhaveandwhattypeofenergyyouareusingtoheatyourhouse.It
![Page 33: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
couldbegas-fired,coal-fired,electricheat,wood-burning,steamheatoracombinationofthese.Determineifyouhaveacentralheatingsystemorifyourhouseisheatedbyindividualunits.Onceyouhavedeterminedthetypeofheatingsystemyouhave,youshouldhaveaprofessionallylicensedheatingandair-conditioningcompanyinspectyourunit. Ifyouhaveacentralheatingsystem,thenyouwillhaveacentralthermostatthatgivesyouatemperaturereading.Asthetemperaturechangeswithinyourhouse,theheatwillturnonandofftokeepthetemperatureoftheairconstant.Thecoldertheweather,themoredemandsthatwillbeplacedonyourheatingsystem.Thelesscoldairallowed
inyourhouse,thelessheatyouneedandtheloweryouheatingbillwillbe.Forthatreason,it’simportantthatyourhouseisinsulated.
HEATING MAINTENANCE Heatingandsystemsareexpensivetoreplace.Forthatreason,werecommendthatyouhaveyourlicensedheatingsystemprofessionalinspectyoursystemonceayear.IfyouwilldothisinSeptemberorOctober,youshouldhaveaproblem-freewinter. Ifyouhaveelectricalheat,oneoftheeasiestmaintenancetasksthateachhomeownercandoischange or clean the filter every month. Bychangingthe
32 Heating Air-Conditioning
![Page 34: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
filtersyouallowyourheatingsystemtooperatemoreefficiently.Thiswillsaveyoumoney. Youcanconserveheatbyinsulatingyourhousewithstormwindowsandstormdoors,atticinsulationandevendo-it-yourselfplasticseals.Insulatingwindowsanddoorswillreducetheamountofheatlossfromyourhouse.Thiswillalsoreduceyourenergybillandsaveyoumoney. Ifyousmellgasoroil,youshouldimmediatelyturnoffyourheatingsystemandcallthegasoroilcompany.Don’ttrytomaketherepairsyourself.Today’sgasfiredheatingsystemshaveasafetymeasureinstalledsothatifyourpilotlightgoesout,thenthegasautomaticallyshutsoff.Youwillknowifthesystemisn’tworkingbecauseyourhousewillgetcolderandcolder. Ifyouhavebaseboardheatorawallmountedheater,youshouldvacuumtheheateronceamonth.Besurethattheunitisturnedoffbeforeyoustartyourcleaning.Youshouldalsokeepobjectsfromcomingintodirectcontactwiththeheater.Thenewerunitshaveprotectivescreensthatkeepanythingfromtouchingthecoils. Everyheatingsystemisdifferent.Forthatreason,useonlyalicensedheatingandairconditioningprofessionalwhoisfamiliarwithyoursystemforroutineinspections,repairs,andmaintenance.
AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Therearetwoprimarytypesofair-conditioningsystemsusedinhomestoday:(1)centralair-conditioningsystemspoweredbyelectricityorgas,and(2)electricwindowunits.Thereareseveraldifferentvariationsofcentral
air-conditioningunitsandsomearecombinedwiththeheatingsystem.Aswithheatingsystems,alicensedheatingandair-conditioningprofessionalshouldperformtheroutineinspectionsandmaintenanceofthesystem.
AIR-CONDITIONING INSPECTIONS Again,youshouldonlyattempttoconductavisualinspection.Ifyouhaveproblemscallaprofessional.Yourair-conditionershouldbeinspectedannually,usuallyduringMayorJunewhentheoutsidetemperatureisabove60degrees.Aswithyourheatingsystem,youneedtoknowwhatkindofair-conditioningunityouhaveandwhattypeofenergytousetooperatethesystem. Withacentralair-conditioningsystem,youcandetermineifitisfunctioningproperlybyasimpletest.Holda12-inchpieceofyarnovertheair-conditioningvent.Thebreezeshouldbestrongenoughtomaketheyarnflutter.Dependingonthetemperature,youmaywanttoadjusttheopeningsoftheairvents.Forexample,thesideofthehousethatisgettingafternoonsunwillrequiremorecoolingduetotheexteriorheat. Awindowunitairconditionershouldbeinspectedonceayearwhentheoutsidetemperatureisabove65degrees.Eachspringyoushouldchecktheunittomakesurethatitissecurelyattachedinthewindows.Novinesorotherobstructionsshouldbewrappedaroundtheoutsidecase.Inspectthecaulkingaroundthewindowunit,boththeinsideandtheoutsideofthehouse.Makesurethatanyolddecayingor
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
33Heating Air-Conditioning
![Page 35: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
crackingcaulkingisreplaced. Awindowunitairconditioneruseselectricitytocool.Readthedirectionsandmakesurethatyouhaveadequatevoltagetooperateyoursystem.Mostwindowunitswillhaveatleastathree-prongplug.Nevertwistorcutofftheroundprongtoforcetheplugtofityourelectricalreceptacleorcircuit. Anelectriciancandetermineifyouhaveadequatevoltagetooperateawindowunit.Animproperelectricalconnectionmaydamagetheunitorcauseanelectricalfire.
AIR-CONDITIONING MAINTENANCE Youwillconserveenergyifyouwillsetyourunitononetemperatureandleaveitthere.Manypeoplewillcutofftheircentralair-conditioningduringthedaywhentheyarenothome.Thisactuallyismorecostlythansettingtheunitatonetemperatureandlettingitremainatthattemperature. Makeahabitofchangingorcleaningyourairfiltersatleastonceamonth.Thisallowsyourunittofunctionatitsmaximumcapacityandwillkeeptheairinyourhomecleaner.Knowwheretheair-returnventislocatedanddonotblockthefrontofthevent.
Allair-conditioningunitswillhavecondensationwhichwillresultinwaterdischargingfromtheairconditioner.Youshouldhaveapipefordrainagetotheexteriorofthehouse.Thesedrainscanbecomecloggedwithalgaeordebris.Thedrainlinesshouldbecleanedoutwithyourroutineannualinspection.Ifyouhaveawindowunit,youwillwanttomakesurethatthewaterdrainstotheoutsideofthehouse.Sometimesawindowunitwillshift,allowingthedrainagepipetodrainintoyourhome. Yourheatingandcoolsystemsaresospecializedthatallroutineinspections,repairsandmaintenanceshouldbeperformedbyalicensedheatingandcoolingexpert.However,youcanlearntorecognizeproblemsearlyonbeforetheybecomemajorproblemsthataremorecostlyandtimeconsumingtomake.Anannualinspectionofbothyourheatingandair-conditioningwilleliminateanumberofaggravatingproblems.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
34 Heating/Air-Conditioning
![Page 36: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
Monthly Home Maintenance & Routine
Inspection Checklist
Monthly Home Maintenance & Routine
Inspection Checklist
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
Herearesomeroutinemaintenanceandinspectiontasksthatshouldbeconductedonyourhouse.Makeahabitofperformingthesetaskseachmonthandmakingthenecessaryrepairs.Thiswillreducethepossibilityofexpensiverepairsandmaintenanceinthelongrun.
JANUARYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3
Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Inspectheatingsystemforsafety.nnn Checktheatticforcondensationduringcolderdays.
FEBRUARYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3
Cleanandreplaceairfilters.Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.Vacuumcoilsonrefrigerator.Makesureeveryelectricalplughasaprotectivecover.Makesurethatallelectricalwiresareunderthefloor.Makesureallelectricalfuseboxes,junctionboxesandswitchesarecovered.
![Page 37: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
MARCHYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkthefoundationofthehouse.nnn Cleanthegutters,gutterstrainersanddownspouts.nnn Cleanuptheyardfromthewinterstorms.nnn Removedeadandfallentreesandlimbs.nnn Checkgasconnections.nnn Drainyourhotwaterheater.
APRILYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checktheexteriorwallsofyourhouse.nnn Replaceorrepairthescreensofthedoorsandwindows.nnn Inspecttheroofforlooseordamagedroofingmaterials.nnn Checkforanysignsofwaterdamageordampness.nnn Changesmokealarmbatteries
MAYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkfortermitesandotherpests.nnn Checkthepaintedsurfacesofthehouse.nnn Checktheroofforlooseshingles.nnn Cleanoutguttersanddownspouts.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
36 Monthly Checklist
![Page 38: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
JUNEYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkthebasementfordampness.nnn Checkthelocksandlatchesonalldoorsandwindows.
JULYYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Inspectandmakenecessaryrepairstoflooringthroughouttheentirehouse.nnn Checkallstairwaystomakesuretheyaresecure.
AUGUSTYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Washandcleaninteriorwalls.nnn Makenecessaryrepairstoanydamagedwalls.nnn Drainyourwaterheater.
SEPTEMBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkinsulationinyourhouse.nnn Checkinsulationintheattic.nnn Checktheexteriorwalls/sidingofyourhouse.nnn Checkthefoundation.
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
37Monthly Checklist
![Page 39: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
OCTOBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkthecaulkingaroundwindowsanddoors.nnn Secureweatherstrippingaroundwindowsanddoors.nnn Replaceorrepairanydamagedglassonwindowsordoors.nnn Cleangutters,gutterstrainersanddownspouts.nnn Cleanchimneyandmakenecessaryrepairs.nnn Changesmokealarmbatteries.
NOVEMBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Cleandeadplants,leavesandgarbagefromaroundthehouseandyard.nnn Checkgasconnectionstomakesuretherearenoleaks.nnn Checkyourroofforlooseshingles.nnn Cleanoutthedownspoutsandgutters.nnn Insulateallexposedwaterpipestopreventfreezing.
DECEMBERYr.Yr.Yr.1 2 3nnn Cleanandreplaceairfilters.nnn Don’toverloadanysingleelectriccircuit.nnn Checkallfaucets,hosesandvalvesforleaks.nnn Checkforanyexposedelectricalwires.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
38 Monthly Checklist
![Page 40: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
Caulking -Caulkingisthesealingofopenjoints,gapsandseamsinexteriorwallcovering.Caulkingkeepstheexteriorairandwaterfromenteringthehouse.Mostdoorsandwindowsarecaulkedaroundtherimoftheopening.
Conduit -Conduitgenerallyreferstoatubeorductthatcoverselectricalwiringwithinthewallsoralongexteriorsurfaces.
Crawl Space -Thespacelocatedbetweenthegroundandthesubflooringofthefirstfloor.Generally,thisareaisbaresoilandisanunheatedpartofthehouse.
Downspouts -Downspoutsarethatpartofthegutterthatcarrywaterofftheroofandawayfromthehouseandfoundation.
Electrical Service Panel -Theelectricalservicepanelisaboxthathousesthepointwheretheelectricalserviceentersthehouseandisdistributedtotheelectricalsystem.Itisusuallylocatedneartheelectricmeterbox.Theelectricmeterboxisthatpointwheretheelectriccompanydeliverstheelectricitytothehouse.
Flashing -Flashingissheetmetalorsomeotherdurablematerialthatisusedtosealjointsinroofs.Generallyusedwhenonematerialmeetsanother,forexamplewhenshinglesmeetbricks.
Footer -Afooteristhebaseofafoundation.Afooterisplacedonsolidsoilandthefoundationisbuiltupfromthefooter.
Grade -Thegradeofthegroundorsurfaceistheangleoftheground.
Grounded -Anelectricalwireisgroundedbyrunningarodintotheearthandbyattachingawiretoametalcoldwatersupplypipe.Groundingreducesthechancesofshock,fireordamagetoappliancesandmotorsandhelpsprotectthehousefromlightning.Groundingpermitsstationaryappliancessuchaswashingmachines,clothesdryers,refrigerators,rangesandmicrowaveovenstobeusedsafely.
l l l Tennessee Housing DevelopmenT Agency l l l
39Glossary
![Page 41: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
Gutters -Agutterisinstalledalongtheedgeoftherooftocatchtherainsothatitwillcarryittothedownspoutandawayfromthehouse.
Jamb -Thejambistheverticalorsidepieceofthedoororwindow.
Joist -Ajoistorfloorjoististheparallelbeamsetfromwalltowalltosupportafloor.
Roof valley -Theroofvalleyiswheretwosectionsofaroofcometogethertoformavalley.Avalleyisgenerallyametalmaterialthatisplacedovertheshinglestochannelthewatertotheguttersanddownspouts.
Roof Vents -Roofventsareventsthatareinstalledtoallowmoisturetoescapefrominsidethehouse.
Sash -Thesashistheframethatholdstheglasspaneofawindowordoor.
Settling -Settlingoccursinahouseovertimewhenthegroundunderthehouseshifts.Ahousecansettlebecauseofpoorfoundation,useofheavyequipment,blastingnearby,earthquakesand/orundergroundwatersources.
Storm Windows and Storm Doors -Astormwindoworstormdoorisanadditionalglasscoveringinstalledoveradoororwindow.Astormwindowordoorreducestheheatlossfromahouse.
Subflooring -Thesubflooringisthesurfacethatisunderthefinishedfloor.Themostcommonexamplesofsubflooringarewood,concrete,andmortarbeds.
l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
40 Glossary
![Page 42: The first thing you need to do is - storage.googleapis.com€¦ · The first thing you need to do is to make a list of important telephone numbers that you may need to help maintain](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042318/5f07df017e708231d41f2b70/html5/thumbnails/42.jpg)