May maintenance for a mixed-humid climate
Real winters and humid summers: the house switches between heating and cooling twice a year, and freezes are short but real.
4 tasks this month. The median typical first freeze across the region’s counties is Oct 30 and the last is Apr 6; your county can differ by weeks.
May4 tasks
- This monthPress the test button on every smoke and CO alarm.
An alarm you have not heard in months may have a dead battery or sensor. NFPA recommends testing smoke alarms at least once a month.
How
Hold the test button until it sounds. Anything silent or chirping: replace the battery, or the whole alarm if it is past its date.
- This monthLook under every sink and around toilets and the water heater for drips.
Slow leaks rot cabinets and subfloors long before they show. Catching one early is a washer, not a floor.
How
Use a flashlight: feel supply lines and the shutoff valves, look for stains, warped cabinet floors or a toilet that rocks.
- This monthClean gutters and check that downspouts drain away from the house.
Spring seeds, blossoms and storm debris clog gutters before the heaviest rain months.
How
Flush each downspout and check the ground slopes away from the foundation.
- WatchSwitch ceiling fans to spin counterclockwise for summer.
A fan blowing air down creates a wind-chill effect, so you can set the thermostat a little higher and stay comfortable. Fans cool people, not rooms: turn them off when you leave.
How
Stop the fan and flip the direction switch on the motor housing; you should feel a breeze standing under it.