The Fall season is upon us. It's time to do those once or twice per year checks around your home to keep everyhting as good as new.

Start with your air-conditioner. Pour about one cup of bleach down the condensation line. ou should be able to find an inlet for this purpose in the AC closet of garage. It's a piece of PV pipe with an endcap. While you are in there, you might as well clean the filter, too.

Go to your water-heater next. Be sure that no one is near the outlet of the discharge line (outside the house), then lift the relief valve to allow water to flush line. You should also let a few quarts flow from the drain at the bottom of the tank to remove any buildup of solids. Be sure to use osme type of container to catch the hot fuild that will be released. Also, refer to the water-heater's instructions in order to inspect the anode rod.

Third, go through thr house and check all your smoke detectors to make sure they are working properly. There should be a test button on them. Press and hold the button until the detector whistles, then release.

One final step. Go through the house and lubricate all the door hingles and window tracks with an oil free lubricant. You might also lubricate the locks on the doors to keep them moving freely.

Now that you are done with maintenance of your home, considor working on your landscaping. The cooler weather of Fall makes outdoor work more pleasant. In this part of Texas, growing season continues through the end of November, so take advatnage of the nicer temperatures to plant another tree or add some shrubs.

You can also prepare the lawn for Winter. Some people like to add a "winterizer" to the lawn. This type of fertilizer helps your grass resist cold temperatures, allowing it to green-up earlier in the Spring.

Many people also spread rye grass over their lawns. Rye is a cold weather grass that stays green while Bermuda, St. Augustine, and other types of warm-weather grasses lie dormant. Many rye grasses are low maintenance, and die-out on Spring in this part of Texas.

I hope you have fun with your new homes, and keep those landscapes looking great. I have just one last tip this time: if you postpose the lubrication of yor door hinges until November you house might keep those "eerie sounds of Halloween" available right when you need them!