MAINTENANCE TIPS

General Maintenance

• Wash marks that appear on walls as soon as you notice them so they don’t become permanent.
• Clean your kitchen appliances, cabinets, and countertops regularly. Avoid using a harsh or abrasive cleaner.
• To avoid mildew and rot, use your ventilation fans, open bathroom and kitchen windows as needed, and make sure you keep your home warm during cold, damp weather.
• A clean home will help keep pests away! So make sure to mop, vacuum, and sweep your floors regularly.
• Keep the outside of your home as beautiful as the inside. Be sure to mow your lawn at least once a week during the growing season, water it twice a week (depending on weather conditions) and remove leaves and excessive lawn clippings to keep it looking its best.

HVAC: Not cooling or heating

• Make sure you’ve connected your gas or electric service, and your bill has been paid.
• Check to ensure all air filters have been changed on a monthly basis.
• Check breaker panel box, which is usually found in a garage, laundry room, or utility room.
• If the breaker has tripped to the right and is in the “off” position, flip breaker to the left.
• If the breaker is in the “on” position, flip the breaker to the right. Wait 1-2 minutes. Flip back to the left to attempt resetting the system.
• Check all floor or ceiling vents to ensure they are open and not blocked by furniture, etc.
• Let us know if there are any new or unusual noises.

FROZEN PIPES

When we are experiencing temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) please allow water to drip from the hot and cold sides of a faucet on the lowest floor of your home. Also, leave cabinet doors under sinks open to allow heat to the plumbing, particularly if they are on exterior walls. Make sure all exterior water hoses are disconnected from the spigots. If there is a separate shut-off valve for the hose spigot available, turned it to “off.” Please also make sure that your home’s thermostat is not set below 60 degrees, even if you are away. Also, if the water heater is located in an exterior storage closet, it is best to leave the light “on.” Adding a heat lamp to that room might also prevent a frozen pipe. See more information here: You will not know pipes have frozen until temperatures rise.

TOILETS: Overflowing

If your toilet starts to overflow, you must act quickly. Turn off the water by turning the water supply valve clockwise. Clean up all water and allow the toilet to drain. Everyone should own a plunger for each bathroom. Plunge vigorously to clear the line. Then turn the water back on and flush the toilet. If you cannot clear the line or there is a mainline backup, submit a maintenance request online, and or call our office at 404-978-2281. (Avoid using thick, 2-ply toilet paper like Charmin or paper towels. Never flush diapers, feminine hygiene products, toys or cat litter). If the plumber finds you misused the toilet, you will be charged for the contractor visit.

TOILETS: Constantly clog or run, leak from inside the tank. This will increase your water bill, submit a maintenance request.

• Check valve at the rear of the tank by turning it counterclockwise to ensure the valve is fully opened; this will speed the filling of the tank.
• Remove the tank lid and check the flapper and flapper chain to make sure it is sealing. Check float to make sure it isn’t set so high that water runs into the overflow tube.

LEAKY FAUCETS: Kitchen or Bathroom

• For single swivel faucet, ensure the handle is facing forward.
• For dual faucet, ensure both handles are turned to the extreme off position.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL

A garbage disposal is one of the most useful gadgets in your kitchen. However, you just can’t put anything and everything in the disposal. Never put bones, pits, shells from shellfish, banana peels, celery, coffee grounds, corn cobs and husks, onion skins, potato skins, beans, rice through the disposal. Never pour oil or grease down the drain.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL: Does not power on

• Check GFCI equipped wall switches closest to the faucet; push the reset button if it has tripped.
• Check the reset button in the cabinet underneath the sink on the base of garbage disposal.
• Check other outlets along the wall in the kitchen.
• Check breaker panel box.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL: Does not drain or makes abnormal noises

• Carefully check for any foreign objects that may have fallen into the drain. (Do not turn on while your hand or any object is in the disposal.)
• Try plunging the opposite side of the sink to free up the clog.
• Check other outlets along the wall in the kitchen.
• Check breaker panel box.

DISHWASHER: Does not power on

• Check GFCI equipped wall switches closest to dishwasher; push the reset button if it has tripped.
• Check the breaker panel box.
• If the breaker has tripped to the right and is in the off position, flip breaker to the left.
• If the breaker is in the on position, flip the breaker to the right, wait 1-2 minutes. Flip back to the left to attempt resetting the system.

REFRIGERATOR: Not powering on, not dispensing ice, or not staying cold enough

• Check the plug connection to ensure the fridge is plugged in.
• Check icemaker lever to ensure it is in the on/down position. Remove any excess ice from the interior ice dispenser/ice bucket.
• Check temperature gauge in the freezer or fridge. Gauges are located inside and at the front of the appliance.

DRYER: Not drying clothes

• Check lint traps. Remove lint after each load of drying to prevent build-up/dryer ducts clogging. Dryers can shut down when the filter is blocked.
• Check hose in the rear of the dryer for kinks.
• Check the plug connection to ensure dryer is plugged in.

WASHER: Not powering on, washing clothes, spinning properly, or making knocking noise

• Check washing machine’s connection making sure it is plugged in.
• Avoid over-loading machine.
• Check hose at the back of the washer.
• Check for any foreign objects stuck in washer barrel.
• Check to make sure the washer is level.
• Stop washing cycle. Open lid. Evenly disperse clothes.

GARAGE DOOR: Not opening/closing properly

• Check for foreign objects blocking the sensor/wires.
• Check batteries in remotes.
• Check breaker panel box.

NO LIGHTS: Bathrooms, kitchen or laundry room:

• Check GFCI equipped outlets; push the reset button if it has tripped.
• Make sure your light bulbs are not burned out.
• Check the breaker panel box.