Halloween Horrors In Your Home?

Maybe, Maybe Not

It's that time of year again when scary movies are on everybody's mind, and everyone is worried that their house is haunted. We're taking a look at some of the most common scary sounds and experiences you might have in your house this month and showing why you don't need to be afraid just yet. For the following 8, don't worry about a haunt but you might want to worry about your house.

Water Dripping From Walls 

We've all seen movies that have water dripping from the walls. Whether it's inside a seaside house or up in the mountains, you've got water where it shouldn't be. For this one, our suggestion is actually to check out your gutters. You want to be looking for signs that your gutters may have ripped away from the side of your house and are actually dripping down through the walls of your home instead of having the water run off through the piping. It won't be a nightmare in terms of your safety, but it will be a nightmare in terms of your pocketbook. The sooner you catch this one, the better.

Faucets Running/Dripping/Exploding

Photo: Shutterbug75

Someone says something that angers the ghost, and now instead of just having a leaky faucet, it's gone and exploded everywhere! We’ve seen this one in several movies and cartoons, and we’re quite glad to tell you it’s not a ghost. We're actually going to recommend that you double-check not what you're saying but instead that you haven't got your water pressure turned up too high, or a valve disconnected somewhere. It could just be bad timing that caused it to explode right then.

Weird Noises Coming From The Laundry Room

If you're stuck in a house that was built in the 1940s or 50s, you might have some weird sounds coming from the laundry room. Rattles and thumps, and squeaks abound in this room, even though the appliances are /brand new/! No in reality, it might just be that the appliances aren't leveled properly rather than the ghost of The Stepford wives coming after you. Don't worry too much about this one, but it is a good idea to have your local handyman come check it out just to be safe. After all, we wouldn't want your dryer to rattle itself loose from the wall.  

Rotting Food That Was Fresh

Photo: Marian Bijlenga

You've got food that you bought just a few days ago in your fridge or freezer. But you’ve got to make dinner or you forgot that your new neighbor is coming over, and you want to impress them. And when you pull it out, oh no, it's gone rotten. It must be the ghost, right? Nope! For this one, you're going to need to check a couple of different spots it might be that your fridge is not sealed properly, it might be that your freezer isn't sealing properly, or it could be that either one is actually not working at the proper temperature.

Burning Smells When You're Not Cooking

You might have weird burning smells around your home on a normal day where it doesn't entirely matter what you're doing. You're just getting normal chores done, but it smells like your house is burning. If that's the case, the first thing you want to check is your dryer. Have you been running the dryer while you have the smell? If the answer is yes, go ahead and take a closer look at the vents and the ducts for your dryer it's very possible that you have a dryer vent that needs to be cleared out and what you're smelling is the lint heating up to dangerous levels. So actually, let us backtrack and say that the first thing you need to do is unplug your dryer and then check out the ductwork. 

Things Turning Off And On Randomly 

What about having the lights flash on and off? You enter a room and lights turn on when they shouldn't, or you're working on something, and all of a sudden the lights shut off. This one, we're going to say have an electrician come and check out your lighting situation. Are there any shorts in the line? Are there any fuses that have been blown or maybe it's just a matter of something not being connected fully. Maybe a new light fixture that wasn't grounded? There are all sorts of reasons for this one that an electrician will be able to help you figure out.

High-Pitched Whining Sounds 

While you have the electrician hanging out at your house, you might want to have them help you with the high-pitched whining sounds. Well, this might be coming from electronics or electricity going through old copper, this can also be an issue with appliances such as your refrigerator or your dryer, in which case you'll need to call on an appliance technician. (psst, check out the link at the bottom.))

Mold And Mildew Spreading Through The House 

Photo: MabelAmber

What about all the mold and mildew though? You've got mold blooming in your basement and mildew in your kitchen. Proof that it is ghosts inhabiting your house. A dark aura driving you and everybody else insane. Well, unfortunately, different areas of your home can end up being a mold hotspot if you're not careful. It can come down to a matter of water getting trapped in a room or up near the ceiling and then mold having the right habitat to bloom in. You have to be diligent not only in getting a dehumidifier but also in keeping the areas clean and bleached in order to kill any hint of the mold or the spores if you catch it soon enough, that should be enough to kill it. However, if it is a full infestation and you're already noticing health issues, that is when you need to be more concerned about your health and may in fact have to rip everything out in that area.

The House Yells At You And Starts Playing Creepy Music When You Walk In The Door

Or you hear music come on as you enter your house. Don't worry that one's just your assistant of choice getting ready for Halloween! 

On the other hand, if you see any of the following, you should be worried.  

You have blood dripping from your walls, and you’re not living in an abattoir. 

If you have a pair of twins appearing at the end of different hallways that you definitely don't know and didn’t invite in. 

 A tall man with a hat who doesn't quite touch the floor when he’s floating there.

And that’s it for our Halloween post! Although we’re still a few days out, we couldn’t wait any longer for this one. Do you have plans for this Halloween? Let us know over on our Facebook page or in the comments below. 

If on the other hand, you really are suffering from some of the issues up above, we might be able to help. For a good half of them at least, an appliance technician is the best person to call. So if your appliances are haunting you,  reach out to us at ((214) 599-0055) or by getting in touch on our contact page. Appliance Rescue Service is here for you. 

7 Areas to Clean Today to Prevent Home Disasters Tomorrow

Also known as: Seven areas to keep clean if you don't want a bigger mess.

Table of Contents

Gutters

Air Ducts 

Dryer Duct

Refrigerator Coils

Washer Filter

Dishwasher Filter

Shower Drain

The worst thing about washing machines is that they have to be cleaned. Most of us don’t even think about that. The problem is that by not doing so, you can end up with some horrible messes. Absolute disasters of messes if we’re being honest.  It’s not just your washing machine though, it’s also several other places around your home that need to be cleaned regularly to prevent a variety of disasters around the home. 

Gutters

When To Do It: Twice a year, best at the end of fall and spring. 

Why To Do It:  If your gutters aren't cleaned regularly, you will get a buildup of leaves and other debris. Not so big a deal, until that starts to rot in summer or freeze in winter. Then the gutters get heavier and over time will start to pull away from your house. Or they might just overflow in certain sections where you don't see it. Which if you're lucky, will lead to an overwatered section of your garden. If you're not lucky it can lead to a molded wall and destabilization of your home's foundation. 

How To Do It:  To put it simply, you'll want a three-step process. First, you want to go by eye to look for areas that are damaged or overflowing, or possibly pulling away from the roof. From there you'll need a ladder so that you can go ahead and dig everything out. Whether you're dealing with compacted leaves and debris or just some slight build-up, you'll want gloves and a  trashcan at least. Your final step is using a hose, to check that you've gotten everything cleaned out.  For a more in-depth guide, check out the additional reading at the bottom of the post. 

Air Ducts

 When To Do It: Every 3 to 5 years, fewer if you have pets that shed. 

Why To Do It : This one isn't as obvious a threat to your home.  For many of us it just means a little extra hair or dust floating in our homes. Over time though it can lead to mold, mildew, and fire hazard in your home. Which can sound weird. Mold, mildew and a potential fire hazard? Yup. During the wetter times, air can become trapped in the ducts and the build-up, leading to mold and mildew spreading throughout the ducting system and your home. During dry seasons though, when the material trapped in the system is bone dry, you can end up with a fire hazard. 

How To Do It: Call a professional for this one. While all of the others can be done with only one or two tools, in order to do the best job of cleaning out all of the ducting in your home, you want to call a professional in. (Sadly, that's not us.  We'll happily fix your appliances though!) 

Dryer Duct

When To Do It: Twice a year, best in spring and fall. 

Why To Do It: Much like your air ducts, your dryer duct is sucking dust, dirt, pet hair, dander, and other materials out of the air and your dryer. That gets caught in the dryer duct and over time it becomes compacted. This is a fire hazard, especially given how dry it is kept. While cleaning out your lint trap every time you run your dryer is a good start, it's doesn't get rid of everything. Cleaning it out will also make your dryer work more efficiently and effectively, allowing for air to flow freely. 

How To Do It: Always start with unplugging and disconnecting your dryer from any sources of power, be it gas or electric. From there, take a vacuum and clean up as much of the inside of the dryer, and the vents inside and outside as possible. Then, use a dryer tool to work the lint-free inside the duct itself. This is a long-handled tool with a brush attachment that you can pick up at your local hardware store for relatively cheap. Once you've done that, grab your vacuum again and suck up everything from where you were working on the duct and from inside the duct itself.  Reconnect everything carefully, turning the power back on as the final step and you're good to go! 

Refrigerator Coils

When To Do It: Once a year, more often if you have pets that shed a lot.

Why To Do It:  The coils are part of the system that keeps your refrigerator cool. If the coils are covered in dust and hair, then your refrigerator has to work overtime and will have a shorter life for it. 

Image courtesy of Mark Florence

How To Do It: Start by transferring as much of your food to a cooler as you can, to lighten the load. Then unplug it and go looking for the coils. Sometimes they'll be under a panel in the front, on the back, or on top if you have a built-in unit. Once you've found your coils, you'll want to grab your vacuum and a dust mask, these coils are going to be covered in a very fine dust that you don't want to breathe in. Now use a long-handled brush to gently scrape away at the coils. You want to go on top of them and between them, trying to remove as much of the dirt as possible. Once you're done with that, vacuum up all of the ick and go enjoy a hot shower. 

Washer Filter

When To Do It: Once a month.

Why To Do It: Your washer filter, as we've discussed in the past, catches much of the larger debris and soap scum that comes off of your clothing during the wash.  If that filter is covered over, with soap, with dirt, with debris, then the water can't pass through and it will begin to back up. It can even lead to the washing machine flooding over, and you needing to clean or even replace your floors. 

How To Do It: Most of the time, a front-loading washer is meant to save you pain and annoyance... Sadly that's not the case when it comes to cleaning your filters. Look on the front for a  small door, and lay out a towel and something like a casserole dish. On opening the door you should find a hose and a drain pump filter. Pull the plug from the hose and let the water empty out into your dish. There's going to be a fair amount of water in there, and it's probably going to reek and be full of ick. Once nothing else is coming out, unscrew the filter, wait for water to stop dripping out of that, and pull out the filter. It will probably have slime on it, and you might even find coins. No, this isn't where the goblins stash all of your lost socks (sadly.) Dump out the filter, and use an old toothbrush and some warm water to scrub it clean. 

If you have a top loading machine, you're in luck! The filter is going to be in the drum or on the back, but check your manual if you can't quite find it. Once you've located it, it's easy to pull out and rinse with hot water. 

Dishwasher Filter

When To Do It: Once a month 

Why To Do It: Your dishwasher filter is much like your washer filter. It collects dirt and food debris and keeps it from going out with the water. (Because that would lead to the drain becoming clogged over time.) At first, this issue can lead to dishes not getting cleaned properly, and with time to the machine flooding. Not fun!

How To Do It: Remove your lower rack and look for a mesh filter on the floor of your dishwasher. If you don't see what we're talking about, grab your manual to find out where the manufacturers hid it. Found it? Ok, at this point, it should be a matter of unscrewing the filter and rinsing it with hot water and soap, and then pop it back in. Nice and easy, and it keeps your kitchen from flooding. 

Shower Drain

When To Do It:  Some will say when the water becomes ankle deep. We say you should do it as soon as you notice the water is beginning to back up.

Why To Do It: Flooding bathtubs. That's all we have to say. And just. EW.  

How To Do It:  Grab a facemask, some old clothes, and a drain snake. Some people will say to start with a drain cleaner, like draino but as long-hair having people, we suggest starting with a snake. Wriggle it around until it goes all the way down your drain and then draw it out. It's going to be gross. It's going to be a lot of hair, dirt, and soap scum. We know.  Depending on when the last time this was done, you might have to do this more than once. Once you've pulled everything that you can out, grab a kettle, boil some water and send that down the drain. Let that do its work and then an hour later, you can hit the drain with a drain cleaner. For best results, we advise letting that sit overnight, this way it's undisturbed for several hours.  If that doesn't clean up the issues with water backing up, we'll advise calling a plumber as the problem could be more than just a clog in your drain. 

Congrats you've just tackled seven of the most common problems in owning a home. As you saw each of these problems can cause serious issues, many of them involving water, soap, and ick going everywhere. Did we miss any areas? Are there appliances or other major areas that you're curious about how to clean? drop us a line over on our Facebook page or in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you. 

If doing all of this cleaning hasn't solved the issues that your refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher or dryer are giving you, you might want to give us a call. We'll work with you to set up a time that fits your schedule, and help to not only determine what the problem is, but more importantly, to fix it. At Appliance Rescue Service, we're not happy until we've gotten your appliances back in tip-top shape. 

You can call us at ((214) 599-0055) or reach out to us on our contact page to set up an appointment time that works for you. 

Additional Reading:

Gutters 

Cleaning Your Refrigerator

How to Deep Clean Your Dishwasher

Dryer Duct