OWNER RESOURCES: MAINTENANCE TIPS
How to take care of all your great new stuff.
Here, you’ll find a lot of helpful tips for maintaining your new Boutique Flats home in perfect order. If you need more help, contact us.
APPLIANCES
Electric Range
Here’s a link for your electric range Use and Care manual.
And here’s the Maytag Web site.
Dishwasher Care
Load properly following manual suggestions. Use only dishwasher detergent and only in recommended amounts. Do not put any other cleaning compound in your dishwasher, as it may create too much suds and interfere with dishwashing action. Store detergent in a dry, cool place, and don’t keep extra packages on hand for a long time – the detergent will absorb moisture from the air and loose effectiveness.
Garbage Disposals
There is a very serious misunderstanding as to what garbage disposals are for. Most people think that all “grindable” garbage should be put in the disposal. This is a misconception. Disposals should be used to dispose of debris from dishes when rinsing them for the dishwasher. Excessive amounts of garbage only clog sewer lines. Larger portions of garbage should be disposed of as regular house trash or better yet, composted.
Disposal jams
If the disposal jams and stops running, you should remove all of the debris you can from the disposal with your hand (obviously with the switch to the disposal off). Use a flashlight to attempt to locate the reason for the blockage. Common items that jam disposals are olive pits, peach pits, coins, broken glass, and fish tank rocks. Try to turn the disposal after you free the item. If it will not turn, it may be necessary for maintenance services.
If the inside of the disposal turns, but will not turn on, the overload protection button may have been tripped. Look on the bottom side of the disposal, you will see a red or black button. Push it in and it should snap into place. Try the switch. If it works, run water through the disposal with the disposal running for a few minutes. If the disposal hums when you turn it on, it is still jammed. Try finding the item causing the jam again.
INDOOR LIGHTING TIPS
- Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it. For example, use fluorescent under-cabinet lighting for kitchen sinks and countertops under cabinets.
- Consider three-way lamps; they make it easier to keep lighting levels low when brighter light is not necessary.
- Don’t replace compact florescent bulbs with regular bulbs. Compact florescent bulbs last three to five times longer than regular bulbs. Although slightly more expensive than regular bulbs initially, they will more than pay for themselves in the long run.
- Use CFLs (Compact Florescent Lights) in all the portable table and floor lamps in your home. Consider carefully the size and fit of these systems when you select them. Some home fixtures may not accommodate some of the larger CFLs.
- Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.
WINDOW TIPS FOR COLDER CLIMATES
- Close your curtains and shades at night; open them during the day.
- Keep windows on the south side of your house clean to let in the winter sun.
ELECTRICAL TIPS
Circuit Breakers shut off
A circuit breaker shuts off because of a direct short, or overloading the line on the breaker. “Space heaters” are famous for creating overloads, especially if there is anything else on the line. They look innocent, however some require up to 1800 watts to function.
You will usually know immediately which appliance is the culprit, as once you turn it on the breaker will trip. When a breaker trips you should turn off all electrical items that lost power when the breaker tripped.
Re-setting the breaker
Wait at least two or three minutes before attempting to re-set the breaker. If it is hot, it will not reset until it cools.
The breakers are located inside a metal box. Open the breaker panel door and look at the switches, the tripped one should be slightly offset compared to the others.
Turn the offset switch completely off and then back on to reset it. Attempting to turn it back on without turning it all the way off will result in reset failure. If the breaker is too hot, if there is a short in the line or if the load is still too much for the circuit, the breaker will immediately snap back off. You may need to unplug all appliances on the line involved to reset the breaker. If the breaker refuses to reset there may be serious problems that require an electrician to repair.
GFCI Plug units
GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. The Electrical code requires that any plug in close proximity to a sink or any other object designed to hold water must be equipped with one of these switches. They are easy to identify – there’s a red button and a black button between the sockets.
GFCI plugs will trip when the slightest amount of moisture is detected. This breaker is designed to prevent electrocution. These can be troublesome, especially when using a handheld hair dryer. If your GFCI trips while using an appliance, press the button marked “reset” to recharge it. You may have to wait until the plug cools off. If this happens continuously, the plug may require replacement as they do wear out.
TOILETS
The number one cause of toilet clogs is trying to flush an excessive amount of toilet tissue at one time. The waste line under the toilet has a pipe size diameter of about two inches.
If you notice the water rising in the bowl rather than going down after you flush, shut off the water supply immediately. The water shut off will be located on the left side of the toilet; you will see a knob or a valve with a pipe going up into the bottom of the toilet tank. Turn this valve clockwise (or to the right) to shut off the water. The rising water in the bowl should stop.
Be sure you own a plunger. To use the plunger, place the rubber portion in the center of the toilet bowl. Rapidly plunge in and out three or four times, withdraw the plunger and see if the water begins running down the toilet drain. You may need to repeat the procedure a few times on stubborn clogs. If the water drains, turn the valve back on and flush to be certain the toilet is functioning properly. If the toilet refuses to drain, it may require professional services such as a drain cleaner.
Toilet runs for no reason
This means there’s a leak in your toilet. It is non-hazardous, however, it wastes water and can be annoying. You may be able to stop the leak by lifting the lid of the toilet tank and placing the flapper (rubber stopper at bottom of tank) on the drain hole. If the leak continues, call a plumber.
Toilet takes a long time to fill
Be certain that the valve below the left side of the toilet is all of the way open, turn it counterclockwise until it stops.
Toilet does not stop running
Connected to the flush handle is a rod, this usually has a chain or plastic line connected to the end of it. The chain hooks on to a flapper. The flapper raises as the toilet is flushed. As the water drains out of the tank the flapper re-seats itself on the drain hole in the toilet base. Sometimes the chain is too long and gets trapped under the flapper; this will allow water to continue running into the toilet. Shake the handle a few times, allow the tank to fill and see if it stops running. If it does, try to shorten (or lengthen the chain to the right length. If it doesn’t, call a plumber.
Hints for toilet cleaning
Professional cleaning people say that the toilet additives such as the chlorine tablets or colored water dispensers do very little to keep the bowl clean. The best way to clean the bowl is to use an abrasive sponge and cleanser or a pumice stone stick. The expensive liquid clearers do not work any easier or better; they are little more than liquefied cleanser with a nice smelling deodorant.
Rather than deal with the bowl full of water, an easy way to lower the water level is to fill a pitcher or pan with water. Dump it all at once in the center of the toilet hole, the water will drop to a very low level, after you are finished cleaning the bowl, simply flush the toilet and the water level will rise.
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