ROUTINE MAINTENANCE SERVICES
OUR BLOG
CHOOSE CONVENIENCE OVER NEGLECT FOR YOUR ROUTINE HOME MAINTENANCE
Have you ever gotten up on a Saturday morning and thought, “I should spend the next 4-6 hours doing routine home maintenance jobs around the house and make 3 trips to Home Depot…” To most people, that sounds like a terrible waste of a Saturday.
The Good News:
YOU don’t have to do all the routine home maintenance jobs anymore! Now you have options when it comes to all the preventative jobs that homeowners are supposed to do on a regular basis:
1. Neglect them and deal with the consequences. (Option by default if you don’t chose #2 or #3)
2. Hire someone to do it for you.
3. Do it yourself.
If you’re reading this, #3 is probably out of the question. You’re fed up with spending a few hours every month doing things you hate doing. So, you’re probably considering hiring someone to do it for you. That’s a much better choice than #1. Neglecting all your routine maintenance jobs around the house is strongly discouraged. Neglect will lead to higher utility bills, an increase in breakdowns, and a decrease in the life span of your home appliances.
The question becomes, who do you hire? Or maybe prior to finding Routinely, the question in your mind was, “Can I even hire a reputable company to come on a regular basis and take care of all my routine home maintenance jobs?” Prior to the launch of Routinely, the answer was likely: no. However, now you can hire a professional, highly rated, reputable company to come on a quarterly basis and take care of your routine home maintenance jobs so you can spend your Saturdays doing the things you enjoy and leave the work to the professionals!
Routinely is on the way to becoming the Tri-state's leader in quarterly routine home maintenance. A few of our most popular services are: removing dryer vent lint, cleaning refrigerator coils, flushing debris from A/C units, and sanitizing washing machines. You can view our entire list of services here.
If you have any questions regarding routine home maintenance, contact the team at Routinely. We’d by happy to help answer any questions you have. We can also provide a free quote for you to have us maintain your home on a quarterly basis. Contact our office today at (513) 331-4151 and Dan@RoutinelyMaintained.com.
Refrigerator Maintenance
TIPS AND TRICKS
Maintenance of Your Fridge:
Take a brief moment and think about how often you use your fridge. Maybe 6-8 times a day? Maybe more than that, depending on how many people live in your home? Your refrigerator is one of the largest appliances in the home that runs 24/7. Whether you’re physically using it or not, it runs day and night to keep your food cold.
Keeping your refrigerator running efficiently is extremely important to the overall efficiency of the refrigerator and its long term lifespan. So, what exactly needs to be maintained?
Water Filter: Having clean, filtered water is important to most homeowners. If you have a fridge that can supply drinking water, there is a filter connected to it inside the fridge. That filter must be cleaned/changed at least twice a year. Some specialized filters may only need changed once a year, and we recommend checking with the manufacturer to confirm this.
Refrigerator Coils: Cleaning your refrigerator coils can help to reduce your energy bill $9-12 per month. It also prevents the refrigerator from overheating and extends the lifespan of the appliance. This is a process we complete by pulling the refrigerator and vacuuming the coils, allowing them to work more efficiently. Instead of pulling in hair and dust, the fans are able to pull clean air and keep the refrigerator running as expected.
If you haven’t changed your water filter or cleaned your refrigerator coils in the last year, give Routinely a call today at (513) 331-4151 to get that completed this week!
What Happens If I Don't Clean the Refrigerator Coils?
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DRAIN/FLUSH OUT YOUR WATER HEATER SEDIMENT?
Typically found in your utility room, your water heater uses an energy source to heat water above its sitting temperature. Think of all the times you heat up water to take a shower, clean the dishes, or mop the floors. Having a properly functioning water heater is incredibly important, and one way to make sure it stays running during those important colder days is by regularly draining the water heater sediment.
Blockage from calcium and minerals will cause the bottom of your water heater to rust. That same mineral blockage also forces the appliance to work harder to heat the water, causing your utility bill to rise in cost. Too much sediment collection will begin to build up within your faucets and restrict water flow. You may also notice that your 20 minute hot showers are only lasting 10-15 minutes now before your water becomes out lukewarm.
Draining your water heater clears out the sediment that has settled at the bottom. It not only helps your water heater run efficiently, it also helps prevent some serious rust hazards that could cause a major leak in the home.
This is why we recommend routine maintenance on the appliance, which includes draining the water heater sediment at every quarterly visit to the home. If you have questions about your water heater and whether or not it needs to be drained, reach out to our office today at (513) 331-4151 and dan@RoutinelyMaintained.com.
Sediment in Water Heater
Which Air Filter Rating System Should I Follow?
So which rating system should you use in buying your next furnace air filter?
Each air filter rating system has its own unique advantages, but sometimes it’s hard to compare the ratings systems apples-to-apples. You can use our chart to compare the different MERV levels with MPR and FPR. While it may be hard to decide between systems to follow, MERV is considered the industry standard when it comes to air filter ratings and is generally the most used system. The more niche rating systems like MPR and FPR originated mostly from certain companies wanting to have their own separate system that would make them appear unique to customers. With MERV-rated air filters, you get the comfort of knowing that your filter’s ratings are widely understood and trusted.
FPR vs. MERV Air Filter Ratings
Deciding between FPR and MERV rated air filters? Here’s a good way to compare FPR vs. MERV air filter ratings and capabilities.
FPR 4 -5 is the same as MERV Ratings 6 – 8
FPR 6 – 7 is the same as MERV Ratings 8 - 11
FPR 8 – 9 is the same as MERV Rating 11
FPR 10 is the same as MERV Ratings 13
MPR vs. MERV Air Filter Ratings
If you’re looking at air filters rated for MPR compared to air filters rated by the MERV filter rating system, you can reference this chart below:
MPR 600 is equal to MERV Rating 8
MPR 1000 is equal to MERV Rating 8
MPR 1200+ is equal to MERV Rating 11
MPR 1500 is equal to MERV Rating 11
MPR 1550 is equal to MERV Rating 11
MPR 1900 is equal to MERV Rating 11
MPR 2200 is equal to MERV Rating 13
MPR 2800 is equal to MERV Rating 13
Have more questions about MERV, MPR, and FPR ratings? Contact us today!
