OTV Household Tips

Frozen Water Can Break Pipes

In OTV, the "bibs" to turn the outside water on and off are located either in the laundry room closet (in the courtyard homes) or in the mechanical closet in the garage (the townhouses). The bibs are marked with colored metal tags stating front or rear bib. The rear bib is for the water faucet in the garage; because this faucet is inside, you may choose not to turn it off. The process is the same for both faucets.

Close the bib for the faucet. Then go to the faucet and turn on the water. This will purge the pipe of water at the water valve ("bib"). If there is only a short duration flow, you turned off the correct valve in the mechanical room/panel. Leave the valve open so that small leakage does not build up behind the valve and freeze, causing the pipe to break.

Reverse the process in the spring.

Clothes Dryers

To dispel the possibility of a fire caused by the accumulation of lint in the dryer vent, the vent should be cleaned yearly. This is the vent that goes from the wall behind the dryer through the exterior walls to the outside. One can, of course, hire a professional firm to do the work or try this method used by one of our neighbors. Having kept their leaf blower, they used it to blow out the vent.  Nonetheless, regardless of the method used, the vent should be cleaned at least once a year.

The other dryer vent problem is caused by lint accumulation in the cloth dryer vent, that is, the attachment from the dryer to the wall vent discussed above. This cloth attachment should be replaced by a metal one available at Sears, Lowe’s, or Home Depot.

If your dryer seems to be struggling to operate, before you call a repairman, check the vent outlet on the outside of your home. These vents are a favorite place for birds to build their nests. A nest is usually readily visible from the ground as pieces protrude beyond the end of the vent. 

Garage Door Opener

Opens partway. This problem is usually typified by a garage door that will move in response to the opener, but only moves up and down partially, not all the way. The usual cause is misalignment of the electric eye that controls how far the door moves and stays. This eye is found at the bottom of the door tracks on both sides of the garage. When properly aligned, the “eyes” emit a green light. If your door is erratically moving, before you call the repairman at a service cost of $75.00, try moving the eyes until you get a green light. What you are doing is lining up one eye with the other; properly aligned, both will emit a green light. The door should then operate without any erratic movements.

Home Alarm Systems

Periodically checking the system will not only help prevent loss or damage to your home but it can also save you money. If your system sends an alarm, Alexandria Police policy requires two officers to respond. If the alarm is false, the second false alarm in a six-month period will cost you $35. Three or more false alarms in a six-month period will cost you $50 per incident. Weather related alarms are not charged. If you want more information about the alarm policy please call the Alexandria Police Community Services unit at 703-838-4520.

Locked Out of the House

To avoid paying a locksmith $75.00 or more to get back in your house, try buying an opener from Sears, Radio Shack, etc. that you can mount outside your garage door allowing you to open the garage door through a keypad. The opener must be compatible with your garage door opener. Cost is $75.00 or less.

Noisy Air Conditioners

In warm weather the noise in the alleyways from the air conditioner compressors becomes more than bothersome. Contributing to the noise is the failure of the HVAC contractor to remove the shipping bolts from the rubber motor mounts. The compressor motors have rubber mounts, much like automobile motor mounts. But the manufacturer puts a bolt through each mount to hold the motor solid during shipping. The bolts need to be removed. The installers failed to due this in some of the homes. During an inspection and maintenance call, a service technician noticed the problem and corrected it. Removing the lock down bolts eliminated a lot of vibration and therefore noise, both in the house and in the alley. If you have a technician inspect your air conditioning system before summer temperatures rise, ask him or her to check the compressor motor mounts.

Washing Machines

To minimize the chance of a leak, it is suggested that you replace the rubber water hoses that most washers came with, with “burst-free” hoses, available at Home Depot, Sears, Lowe’s, etc. These hoses are reinforced with metal to preclude their bursting. Whenever you are leaving your home for 24 hours or more, turn off the water to the washer right at the faucets where the hoses are connected.