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"  Home maintenance isn&amp;#039;t restricted to repairs. In fact, certain tasks-- when performed regularly--may actually prevent things from breaking in the first place. But when things do go wrong (and it&amp;#039;s inevitable that they do), we have some backup plans that you can try before you grab the phone to call for pro. Appliances and plumbing are the most frequent offenders, but they also often can be the simplest to care for. From the gutters to the living room carpet, there&amp;#039;s a reliable method for keeping every part of your home clean, safe, and well maintained.  2:24 || ON THE DOWN LOW:  The weather outside is frightening, and your baseboard heating isn&amp;#039;t making things much warmer inside. THE QUICK FIX When baseboard heating is noticeably less efficient than it has been, the cause is often debris on the heating fins responsible for warming air that flows over them. This can happen when you have excessive dust or dirt such as cat hair. You should regularly give the baseboard units a good once-over with a vacuum cleaner or duster to ensure they are heating as efficiently as possible.   2:25 || FLUE EPIDEMIC:  You used to love sitting in front of the fire on a chilly night, but now the smoke gets in your eyes. THE QUICK FIX If your fireplace has been working fine until recently, the problem is most likely a blockage, caused by an animal&amp;#039;s nest or, in unusual cases, a brick or broken piece of flue from the chimney structure. Have a chimney sweep inspect the chimney and remove the obstruction. If the obstruction is creosote buildup, have the chimney professionally swept. Chimneys should be cleaned about once a year, and creosote--a highly flammable carcinogenic--should be removed by a professional.   2:26 || WARMING TREND:  Your central air-conditioning was working just fine, but suddenly it&amp;#039;s cycling on and off and not cooling so well. THE QUICK FIX The outdoor compressor is designed to stop running under various abnormal situations. One such situation is caused by high internal pressure when obstructions such as leaves, grass clippings, and other debris restrict airflow across the outdoor coil. Check that the fan grill on the unit top and the coil on the unit sides are clear. If the problem is not resolved, turn the air conditioner off to minimize possible damage to the compressor and call a licensed HVAC contractor to have a NATE-certified service technician address the situation.   2:27 || AC DEEP FREEZE:  The temperature&amp;#039;s jumped from comfortably breezy to a blazing 95 in the shade. You&amp;#039;ve tripped the switch on your central air, but nothing happens-- and the repair service is telling you they can&amp;#039;t make it until next week. THE QUICK FIX It&amp;#039;s inevitable that your repair service will be inundated with calls during the first few days of a heat wave. Get a jump on the season and reduce the burden on a system that has been idle for several months. Pat Porzio III, master plumber and electrical contractor, says, &amp;quot;I urge people to test their system as soon as the temperature is in the 70s.&amp;quot; Here are the basic steps that Pat advises every homeowner to take at the onset of the cooling season: * Change the system&amp;#039;s air filter and continue to do so throughout the season at the interval recommended by the manufacturer. * As soon as the weather permits, uncover your condenser. Brush or vacuum leaves and grass clippings from it and if it&amp;#039;s near the dryer vent, be sure that the condenser&amp;#039;s louvers or fins are free of lint. * Clean the condensate drain (and pump, if it has one) by pouring in a quart or two of bleach and water solution. * Check that all circuit breakers and switches are in the On position. * Open all supply vents and return grilles. Move furniture that might be blocking them. * Close the humidifier bypass damper, if there is one. * And remember, you can maximize battery life by leaving digital thermostats set to Heat or Cool. With all the above in order, take the system for a test drive. If you hear odd noises, see ice form anywhere, or if the circuit breaker keeps tripping, call for service immediately. Do all this early in the season and you&amp;#039;ll be thankful, not sweating.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/how-to/a3711/4290866/>