Get air conditioner ready for summer

Since spring has sprung, summer can't be far away. Many of you will be turning on your air conditioners any day now. Have you had it inspected yet? Will it work for another year? Are you sure? You can call a pro for a final inspection, but you can do a lot of prep work yourself to make sure your AC is ready to roll when the weather gets hot. Here are some tips you can use.

As with so many maintenance projects, start with a good cleaning. Turn off the current to your indoor and outdoor units. The indoor unit will have coils, located inside the unit, and you can access them by removing a panel. Clean them with soapy water. Clean the tray underneath with soapy water, and remove any rust and fungus. As a preventive measure, pour some bleach in the tray and make sure it drains out. If any leaks exist, replace the pan. If the drain is clogged, use a snake to clean it out. A clean or new filter should be installed. This should be done on a monthly basis when it is running.

Another indoor component is the blower fan. It should also be cleaned. A brush will help you get into tight spots. Check your owner's manual to see if lubrication or any other maintenance is required.

The outdoor unit will need to be washed with a garden hose. There are very thin "fins" around the outside coils that wind around the cage of the unit. If these are flattened, they should be straightened with a fin comb that fits your unit.

Check for insects and remove them. Good airflow around the unit is important, so keep plants and other items away from it.

Get up in the attic and inspect your ducts for leakage. If they run in other places where you can see them, check those also. Seal any leaks that you find using mastic or metal tape. Never use duct tape.

An inspection by a pro can be important also, because you can't check your coolant levels yourself, but these basic steps are a must. They are easy enough for you to do and could save you money down the road, and they help your unit to operate more efficiently, which saves you money!

Bucket dividers

Buckets are great for both carrying and storing tools and other DIY materials. Most are lightweight, and their handles make them easy to take wherever you need them. A 1-gallon bucket will hold a drill, bits and several other tools. A 5-gallon bucket will hold even more. But you could make a large bucket even better by installing dividers to keep tools and other items organized. Make dividers from cardboard or wood. Cut two pieces of material to fit across the center of the bucket inside. Then cut a slit halfway through the center of each piece. Fit one into the other to create your divider.

Paint shield

Stirring your paint before beginning a project is a very important step. It takes a little time and can make a little (or big) mess, but it's worth it in the long run. One way to use your drill attachment for stirring without making a mess is to make a paint shield for your area. Set your paint can down inside a larger bucket. Then create a shield from the larger lid by cutting a hole in the center. It should be large enough to fit the stirring attachment through and see that it is in the can of paint to stir it. With the shield in place, you can stir without making a mess!

Super hints

• Before recaulking your bathtub, fill it with water to add extra weight. You can even get inside the tub to do your caulking. All of this extra weight will ensure that there are no gaps in your caulking job.

• To aid in key identification, put a small dot of colored paint on each key and a matching dot on each lock. It will save you time in locating the right key for the right lock when you are in a hurry.

• Leftover paint will last a lot longer if it's placed in a plastic container with a lid that seals tightly. There is a wide variety of sealable plastics at your discount store, and these containers really will help save your paint for a rainy day. Plus, the lids are a heck of a lot easier to remove than the ones on your average paint can.

Q. I have noticed excess moisture in my attic. I can't see anything amiss. Is there anything I can do to cut down on some of this?

K.T.

A. You usually can improve your ventilation and clear away excess moisture. Make sure your soffits are clear of insulation so that air can flow through them. Add more soffit vents if you need to. Make sure roof vents are open and running when they need to be.

Q. My sliding-glass door is getting rusty. We live near the coast, and the ocean air is pretty salty. I am wondering if I can do anything to the aluminum to prevent this kind of damage.

M.L.

A. The aluminum can be cleaned with very fine steel wool. Apply a paste wax to the surface to prevent moisture from getting to the metal. It really will help, and it's easy enough to do. Repeat it every time you clean the surfaces.

Q. I have a bathtub that won't hold water. It has an older pop-up drain plug. Is there a way to fix or replace this?

A.S.

A. It's possible that debris might have built up in the drain and might be causing it not to function properly. Thoroughly clean the drain. Also, check the rubber gasket to see if it is still in good shape. Some drain stoppers can be adjusted by turning them one way or the other. If none of these things cures the problem, then replacement is your next option.

Q. The paneling we put up in our basement looks great, but it has started to buckle in places. Is there a way to fix this, or did we just pick the wrong paneling?

V.J.

A. We hate to tell you this, but if you didn't leave a small amount of space between the sheets as you hung them, that's why it's buckling. Paneling will expand and contract with different moisture levels in your home. You might have to take the sheets down and rehang them to allow for some expansion. Another option would be to pull every other one down -- or at least the ones that are buckling -- shave off a small amount and then rehang them.

Reader tips

• My wife has planned a special anniversary party and we are making luminaries to put outdoors. We have been collecting metal coffee cans. To make the punched-out designs, we fill the cans with water and freeze them. With the ice inside the can, you can use an ice pick or a nail and hammer to punch out the designs on the sides of the cans. Then you let the ice melt, and dry the cans, put some sand in the base and add a small candle to shine through the design on the sides of the cans. We have been having fun making them and might even keep them for a future party.

N.H.

• I had an opportunity to get a couple of large plastic buckets for my shop. I use them to store extension cords. You can just wind the cords into the buckets from the top. They rarely get tangled, and you have a great handle to carry them to your work site. It's so much easier than winding them up on a reel of some kind.

G.R.

• I needed some extra storage space for my gardening tools and supplies, and I found the perfect spot. My deck is raised, and there is a perfect area underneath the deck. I put a "floor" of gravel down, and then put some tool hangers, a shelf and a small, covered storage bench. Everything I need fits down there, and it doesn't really show since it faces the side of the house. Finally, I have more space in my garage, too.

T.R.

• I have a small brad nailer. It wasn't a super-expensive tool, and it came in very handy with the bathroom remodel that we did. I did add a small felt pad to the base of the nailer, where it sits on the trim. I found that the pad would protect the painted wood from the occasional scuffing caused by the nailer. It ended up saving me touch-up time.

W.R.

• I replaced the faucet set in my shower. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. I was glad I did it, and I learned a lot in the process. My friends gave me a lot of advice before I started, which helped. I was warned about scratching the tiles or breaking them, so I cut a piece of cardboard to fit over the area. I taped it in place with masking tape until I was finished working. Everything worked out great, and the faucets look much better than the old ones did -- and they don't drip!

C.N.

Shop talk

• Repairing concrete can be a little tricky, but Quikrete Vinyl Concrete Patch can help. This material can be used to level, fill and repair areas as thin as 1/16-inch. The special blend of exterior-grade vinyl resin is mixed with sand and Portland cement. All you have to do is add water. Your finish will be smooth and long-lasting. You'll get the results you are looking for. It's available at most home centers and hardware stores. If you want to know more, visit its Web site, www.quikcrete.com.

• Super Glue is a super product, but the new Gel Super Glue has some definite advantages. First of all, the innovative dispensing system gives you better control when using the product. You can get a continuous stream or one drop at a time. The gel formula works great on vertical and porous surfaces, which had been a challenge for the original product. It won't run or drip. It works on leather, metal, plastic, wood, vinyl, aluminum, ceramics and china, and it's widely available at hardware stores and discount stores, as well as home centers. For information, visit www.supergluecorp.com.

© 2008, Cowles Syndicate Inc.