Courtesy of Ryan Torris

PREPARING YOUR AIR CONDITIONER FOR SUMMER

In preparation of the warm days ahead, now is the time to ensure your air conditioning units are clean and in working condition. For central air conditioning units, a professional maintenance can be booked now or there is upkeep you can do yourself. Start by ensuring the power to the unit is off. Then head outside and remove any covers or tarps you may have used over the winter. Clear away debris, dirt and dust from the exterior of the unit - you can use a low-pressure hose or a wet cloth. When the outside of the unit is clean, tackle the inside. Remove the protective panels to access the coils and fan elements. Clean them with a soft cloth or vacuum. If you’re using water, be sure not to spray any electrical elements such as the motor. Once everything inside the unit is clean and the unit reassembled, head inside your home to change the air filter which is typically the same filter as the furnace. When everything is clean and dry, turn the power to the unit on and give it a test run. Once you start using the unit, confirm there are no refrigerant leaks or issues by monitoring things like the temperature of the air (is it warmer than it should be?), frost or ice build-up on the copper lines, or hissing or bubbling sounds from the unit itself or the evaporator coil installed inside the house. An HVAC technician should be called to evaluate the system if any of these are present. For window or portable AC units, the process is essentially the same. You want to unplug the unit, clean the exterior and interior and any filters, fans and grates you can access.

HOST A SUCCESSFUL YARD SALE You’ve gone through your home and gathered all the items you want to include in your yard or garage sale, but what are the next steps? First, check with your municipality and find out what is required to host a yard or garage sale and what guidelines, if any, you need to follow regarding signage on the day. Once that’s taken care of, determine the date to host your sale. Choose a weekend that is “low key” in your area meaning it isn’t a long weekend and there aren’t any big festivals, sporting events, major concerts, etc. scheduled that would draw potential shoppers away. Having the sale over two days is ideal to maximize your selling efforts. Think about inviting family or friends to participate to make it more fun and spread the work around. They can sell some of the items they’re looking to get out of their houses and you can keep each other company during the sale or plan to split up the shifts to get a few breaks over the weekend. With the date planned, start promoting. Local buy and sell groups often allow garage/yard sale postings to be made on their online sites which can be useful. Furthermore, spread the word with friends, family, neighbours and colleagues. Signs around the neighbourhood, in local businesses and at nearby intersections also draw in a lot of drive-by traffic. Once people arrive at your sale, be sure your items are grouped together appropriately so anyone looking for kitchen gadgets, for example, can head to one area. A rule of thumb is to have your big items that will draw people in front and center with other goods placed around them because the more people walk by and see, the more they’re likely to purchase. Finally, have everything pre-priced which makes it easier for you as well as shoppers. Most people will negotiate so if your prices are a tad high, be willing to haggle. If your goal is to just clear everything out, price items lower.