Spring cleaning and maintenance tips for condo owners

Spending time cleaning is not exactly what you are usually thinking of when you are driving to the Lake of the Ozarks to enjoy your condo.   Boating, dining, shopping, these are all much more fun, but a little bit of work and maintenance now can save you big bucks later.  Here are a few ideas I’d like to share.

Pull out and clean behind your moveable appliances, especially the refrigerator and washer/dryer.  Unplug the refrigerator and make sure to vacuum behind and also to clean the coils in the front as well. Be very careful with the icemaker line so that it doesn’t kink or get pulled – many a condo building has been flooded by bad icemaker lines, and lines that just gave out, so use care.  Clean behind the washer and dryer, and clean as much of the dryer vent as possible.  Dryer "vent runs" in condos are often quite long, and make many turns, to clean this where you can reach. 

Check the drain hose on the A/C, and make sure it is clear.  If you haven’t already changed out this line from the original equipment, do so now.  I’m taking about the line that runs out of the A/C to the floor drain, and it is often not big enough to handle the amount of humidity we have here at the Lake, and will clog with algae to the point is backs up into the pan.  The best case scenario is that it will get your carpet wet; worst case is it will do enough water damage to mold your unit, and possible damage the ceiling in the unit below.  Simply replace the drain tube with a larger hose, hose clamp the new tube in place and forget about it. 

Replace filters, and buy a package of several so you change them often.  Vacuum the registers and the clean air return.   

Make sure the outside compressor unit is clean and doesn’t have debris in or around it.  Put a coat of wax on the unit on the metal surfaces.  Buyers use a quick, untrained visual inspection of a unit to judges its condition, and the wax will help it to keep from rusting and sun fading.  Some condos have the compressor unit’s right outside the front door, so it is really important to keep them looking good, or at least not bad.  If you can’t remember the last time the unit was serviced, call one of our local HVAC companies and get a service call.  It will be cheaper and more convent than calling them on the 4th of July weekend when you run out of coolant.   

Clean your window screens, and make sure there are now issues with the outside siding of the unit.  A leaking gutter may be the association’s problem, but it will affect certain units the most, don’t assume anyone lese is looking out for your exterior. 

Go to the boat dock and check everything out.  Make sure there are no cracks in the frame, especially around your well, and if you have a hoist, make sure it is operating properly, if not call a hoist company.  I don’t recommend working on hoists unless you are very confident in your ability to deal with some pretty serious hardware. 

Here’s a quick article on de-winterizing your boat.