Home Repair and Maintenance

It goes without saying that a home is safer when it’s occupied. Homes that are humming with activity are much less likely to be broken into. Having bodies in the house can also be beneficial in the event that a plumbing problem or other home maintenance issue should arise.

"When homeowners are away, the home is susceptible to damage from water leaks, attempted burglaries and even fire," Williams said. "Fortunately, there are a few easy things that a homeowner can do to protect their homes while they're away."

Preparation tips

The experts at 128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric recommend taking care of these tasks before embarking on holiday travel:

• Turn off the main water valve. No one wants to return home to a severely water damaged house. Reduce the odds of a water pipe bursting and causing damage by turning off the main valve that leads into your house.
• Put your water heater on vacation mode. Williams and his colleagues note that the pilot light will remain on, but you’ll save money on unnecessary heating. If you have an electric water heater, turn the temperature dial down or turn it off at the circuit breaker panel.
• Adjust the thermostat. Setting your thermostat to 55 degrees can save you money and help eliminate the risk of your pipes freezing while you’re out of town.
• Don’t leave lights on around the clock. When lights are left on day and night, it’s a dead giveaway that nobody is home. To ward off intruders, use a timer for lights instead.
• Notify your security company. Let your home security system monitoring company know that you’ll be gone. For added security, consider installing an outside motion sensor.
• Don’t overshare on social media. Don't share your date of departure on social media. By doing so, you could be sending an open invitation to intruders.

The last bits of snow and ice have melted from lawns in most of the United States, meaning it's time to try to crank up the old lawn mower or, possibly, beat it over to the nearest big box store and pick up a new one.

Gas-powered appliances that are left outside or in an unheated garage can be pretty reluctant to start up each spring. Draining the gas and oil each fall can help but some springtime maintenance may still be needed. If you're not feeling up to that, buying a new one may save time and trouble.

Consumer Reports has taken some of the guesswork out of shopping for a new lawn mower, reviewing more than 40 models in its May 2014 issue, along iwth reviews of tractors, riding mowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers and other gadgets and lawn care products. Honda and Toro get top marks from the magazine.

“A great-looking lawn is easy if you have the right tools,” said Peter Sawchuk, test program leader for home improvement at Consumer Reports. “The best mowers and riding machines can help get a lawn back into shape in time for summer.”

In the self-propelled, gas-powered mower category – the type of mower most people buy – models from Honda and Toro earned Consumer Reports’ highest scores, including the Honda HRR2169VKA, $400, and the Toro 20381, $520, which were both CR Best Buys. The Cub Cadet SC100 11A-A92J, $250, also a CR Best Buy, topped the gas push-mower category and the Ego, LM2000, $500, earned the highest scores among the electric battery mowers tested.

While most lower-scoring lawn mowers Consumer Reports tested performed passably, several left ugly clumps in their wake, including two models from Earthwise (a plug-in mower and a self-propelled cordless) and a gas-push version from Murray.

With the summer season fast approaching, many people are either purchasing a new air conditioner or repairing the one they have. And many who have central air conditioning will need a bit of maintenance to make sure it's working at full capacity.

According to the folks at Interstate, a New York City air conditioning and heating company, having routine maintenance on your air conditioner twice a year will save you a lot of money down the road.

Based on the company's statistics, the average household spends more than $2,500 a year on energy bills; $1,100 of that goes to heating and $1,400 goes toward keeping the home cool.

Saving money

A good way to save about $180 a year on air conditioning is to get a programmable thermostat. And changing the coil in your air conditioner will save you good money, too.

"A dirty coil reduces the system's ability to cool your home and causes the system to run longer, increasing your energy costs and shortening the life of your equipment," said the company in a statement. "A dirty coil can raise your bill by 30%."

According to Frank Alexander, of Alexander Heating and Air Conditioning in North Carolina, there are certain things you can do to determine if the coil in your air conditioner needs replacing.

The company's website says if a technician tells you that your coil needs replacing, he or she should be able to tell you exactly where the leak is as well. If the technician can't, you should be a little suspicious.

"Freon carries a lubricant and that residue is visible most times below the leak," writes Alexander on the site.

"It looks like dark wet spots, like burnt cooking oil. Most of the time this will be visible but it may be impossible to see it. Ask your technician how they determined the leak was in the coil. They should be able to tell you where the leak is."

Additionally, you should make sure the technician is using a Freon detector and not just going by what he or she thinks, says Alexander.

"Have the technician show that they have used a Freon detector and that detector has indicated a leak or soap bubbles and ask to see the leak with the soap bubbles," he says.

Another sign that your coil needs replacing says Alexander, is always having to add Freon to the air conditioner. When Freon leaks out of your air conditioning unit, it's a definite sign that your coil may need to be changed, he says.

Lubricating your system

Not having enough lubrication in your air conditioning unit is another reason it may not be working the way it should be.

Some experts say you may be able to add oil yourself, but you might need  a professional depending on how modern the AC's motor is. Newer motors may have sealed ports so you aren't able to add oil. You'll need to check your owners guide to verify. If you do find ports, turn the AC's power completely off and add five drops of electric motor oil.

Experts say not to use all-purpose oil, since it's not designed to lubricate your AC's bearings for a long period of time.

Regular maintenance

According to Interstate, one in five people perform maintenance on their air conditioning system themselves, and if the system does lack proper lubricant it could raise your electricity use by 5%.

In addition, the company says maintenance on your AC system twice a year will maintain up to 95% of its original efficiency and the cost it takes to keep it running properly will be made back quickly through lower electricity bills.

And central air conditioning units should last about 15 years, says Interstate.

"Maintenance doesn't cost, it pays," says the company. "Proper air conditioning maintenance can help your unit last decades." 

"On the flip-side, a neglected air conditioner loses roughly 5% of its efficiency each year that it operates without upkeep. So that green machine you bought to stay cool could start to function like the most inefficient thing on the market, if you fail to perform regular air conditioning maintenance."

Lastly, it's important to change or replace the AC's filter monthly, says Interstate. By doing so, the AC won't need to work as hard, which can save you money as well.

Complaints about Bunn coffeemakers springing leaks are not all that uncommon. In fact, ConsumerAffairs.com heard this week from Michelle, of Omaha, Neb., who expressed frustration with what she called the company's lack of response to her prioblem.

On Monday, July 4th I sent Bunn an email that while out of town for four days, my coffeemaker leaked on my counter top causing seepage in the seam and the Formica buckling as a result,” Michelle told ConsumerAffairs.com. “I have not even received the courtesy of a response. I have been in the retail industry for over 30 years and fully understand brand loyalty. I have even been on the buying end of appliances and a staunch advocate for Bunn, noting it is the best of the best.”

The coffeemaker leak develops after extended use and, as the video below demonstrates, can have a fairly simple, and inexpensive fix.

One word of caution: do-it-yourself repairs should only be attempted if you feel comfortable doing so, and only if the product warranty has expired. Working on any product that's still under warranty will void it. And of course, always unplug any electric device before trying to work on it.