About the House: Check filtration, boost water flow

Have you noticed your laundry washer filling more slowly than it used to? Do your clothes take longer to dry? How about the dishwasher doing its job the way it once did? Chances are, if you notice these developments, you have a filter problem, even if you didn’t know they had a filter.

Inlets where the water hoses connect to the laundry washer typically have a screen at the end of the hose. If you have older, galvanized metal piping and have had work done, or the water turned off for another reason, screens can get plugged with rusty debris. Unhook the hoses and clean or replace the screen to allow water to flow faster.

Slow-filling clothes washers are usually a nuisance, but not dangerous. Slow drying, whether electric or gas, can mean a dangerous situation is present. Merely cleaning the lint filter does not assure a clean duct. The duct should be checked yearly for lint build-up   and cleaned as often as needed. This might be every other year, or it could be every six months, but it’s a good way to prevent fires and that, in itself, is worth the effort.

Do you have a range hood for ventilation? Is it a hood only, or is it a microwave? Both can circulate air back into the room, and both can be vented to the outdoors. Either way they are set, they should have the filters cleaned. These are typically a metal mesh that easily slides out and can be run through a dishwasher. Microwaves often have a charcoal filter located behind the upper grille. This can help reduce cooking odors and should be changed every couple of years if the vent fan is used to re-circulate the air back into the room.

Many homes have a whole-house water filter that requires regular maintenance, too. These are typically located near the water entrance to the house in an easily reached location. But not always; I have found these in the crawlspace located as far from the entrance as possible and nearly plugged shut.

 If your water flow has change since moving in and you are not sure if you have one, this could be the cause and be easily remedied with a new filter.

These are just a few inexpensive ways to keep things flowing well About the House.

Rob Kinsey has been a licensed builder for 30 years and is a home inspector with more than 20 years of experience.