Spring home checklist after the winter

After winter, the gutters can still hold the fall's leaves, and the air conditioner hasn't run in months. An outdoor water line that froze can be split without showing it until you turn it on. Two jobs go to someone else: the cooling check-up and the gutters.

Cooling

• Book the cooling system check-upContractors get busy once summer comes, so book it in the spring.
• Know what the check-up includesThe technician cleans the evaporator and condenser coils, checks the refrigerant level and adjusts the blower.
• Check the air filterAirflow problems can cut a system's efficiency by up to 15 percent.
• Clear the air conditioner's drip pan and drain lineA clogged line backs water up into the air handler and onto the floor around it.

Water and the outside of the house

• Have the gutters and downspouts cleanedThe work is done from a ladder, so have a gutter service or a handyman do it.
• Check that the ground slopes away from the foundationLook for low spots where snow sat all winter.
• Look for damp spots insideCheck under the sinks, around the water heater and along the basement walls. Dry anything wet within 24 to 48 hours to stop mold from growing.
• Run each outdoor faucet with the hose attachedIf it leaks where the hose meets the spigot, replace the washer and tighten the connection with pipe tape.
• Check the sprinkler system for frost damage before its first runA leak about 1/32 of an inch wide can waste about 6,300 gallons a month.

The yard

• Empty anything holding water once a weekThat includes buckets, toys, tires, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers and trash cans. Scrub, turn over, cover or throw out each one.
• Repair holes in the window and door screensScreens keep mosquitoes outdoors.

Safety

• Test the smoke alarmsTest them every month, and replace any alarm 10 years after its manufacture date.
• Have the dryer vent duct cleanedIt needs cleaning once a year, and spring is an easy date to remember.
• Pick the tornado safe spot and practice going thereUse a basement, a storm cellar or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows. Practice often, so everyone knows where to go.