Daylight Savings Time Change

I always dread Daylight Saving Time changes just because it seems to take my body clock three weeks to self correct. This bi-annual event is a great reminder though, to complete a few tasks around the house that should not be overlooked.

Here are tasks that we recommend you perform each changing of the clock.



Daylight Saving Time Home Maintenance Checklist

The experts, the news channels and newspapers have been telling us about this one for many years. Replace the batteries in all of your smoke detectors. I suggest taking it one step further, buy some compressed air (as used to blow off your keyboard) and blow-out the dust accumulated in the smoke detector and the carbon monoxide detectors in your house. Test each to make sure that they are working properly. Every home that has an attached garage, gas stove, furnace or water heater should have a carbon monoxide detector!

Add a couple of drops of light weight oil (preferred: puffs of graphite powder, available at any locksmith or Ace Hardware) to all of your key locks, especially those exposed to the weather. Turn the cylinder a few times to ensure complete coverage in the throat of the lock. It's a good idea to do this to your car locks as well.

If you have an emergency escape window in the basement or an emergency escape ladder from a second story window, open them up and try them out to be sure there are no obstructions and the unit is operating properly. Make good use of the task with the family and practice your escape drill. Follow your escape plan and muster at your meeting place for the full drill.

Check your dryer vent duct work and make sure that it is clean and that there is no lint caught up in it. A laundry room fire is the #2 cause of house fires in this country. It only takes a few minutes to inspect the dryer vent duct work and about 20 minutes to clean it all out.
Performing these four quick homeowner maintenance tasks with each time change will help to keep your house in order and help keep your family safe.