I am not conscientious about regular maintenance for my vehicles, appliances or property.
- I neglect to have the oil changed in my car and ignore the warning lights on the dash.
I am lazy about cleaning out the gutters along the roof, draining the hot water tank and emptying the lint trap of the dyer. I wait until the coffee maker refuses to operate before I clean it. I don’t schedule professional maintenance for the furnace or air conditioner and never remember to replace the air filters. Although I set reminders for myself, attempt to be more efficient and am not happy about facing repairs, I just can’t force myself to be more proactive. Just recently, the air conditioner started having problems. It was making a high-pitched screeching sound and there was definitely less air coming from the vents. Although I’d needed to lower the thermostat setting several times, I never got around to scheduling professional service. I noticed that certain rooms felt overheated, and there was an unpleasant smell in the house. My electric bill was noticeably higher, but I didn’t do anything about it until the air conditioner completely quit. It still took me several days to call for repair. When the HVAC contractor took the air conditioner apart, he showed me the buildup of contaminants within the unit. There was an alarming amount of mold thriving on the cooling coil. There was an abundance of algae growing in the condensate drain. Dust, lint, hair and all sorts of harmful toxins created a thick coating over all of the components. The technician told me that every time the cooling system started up, the accumulation of debris was not only restricting airflow through the system but also entering the breathing air of the house. Since then, I’ve been better about changing air filters and setting up maintenance for the air conditioner.