Maintenance

EMERGENCY SHUTOFF VALVES

All of these are on the front right side of the house as you face it, on/adjacent to the exterior wall of the garage.

Electricity: lift open the right side of the circuit panel cover & turn off breakers as necessary

Water: to close, gently rotate the red handle of the valve 90 degrees toward you until the handle is horizontal.

This will shut off water to the exterior faucets and to the interior of the house, but not to the irrigation system. A leak there requires closing a different valve. See below.

Natural gas: to close, use a wrench to turn the valve flange (at the tip of the arrow in the photo) 90 degrees clockwise (or counterclockwise) so that the flange is horizontal

Air Filter Location & Size

Hall ceiling: 20 x 20 x 1 inches

Replace this every 4 - 6 months to maintain air quality and lower your heating costs.

Distinguish the air intake register (part of the heating system, where the filter is located) from the grille of the whole house fan. The register is larger, closer to the end of the hall, & will contain a filter.

Attic

Additional storage space is available in the attic above the garage. This is accessed via the rope handle attached to the pull-down door in the ceiling of the garage near the house.

Things to be aware of:

Be careful when unfolding the door down, as it may strike you and cause injury or damage.
The weight limit for the attic ladder - body weight plus whatever you are carrying - is 250 pounds.
The switch for the attic light is in the attic just above the door, on your right as you are facing the ladder
Step on and place items only on the ceiling joists and the plywood on them - NOT the ceiling itself! The ceiling drywall is too weak to support any weight. If you step on it you will fall though, causing injury & damage!
Use the rope handle to gently return to door to its original position to close it.

Fireplace (gas)

To use:

Open the front paneled glass doors.
Push the round (damper) knob at the top of the fireplace to the right (to open it). The fireplace will NOT operate if the damper is closed.
Turn on the switch on the wall to the left of the fireplace to light. This will cause a buzzing sound. If the gas doesn't ignite after a few moments turn the switch off and then on again; repeat as needed.
The fireplace will stay lit while the wall switch is on.
To turn off the fireplace, turn off the wall switch.
Once off, push the round (damper ) knob to the left to close it. Be careful - it will be hot.
Close the front paneled glass doors.

The fireplace burns only the natural gas plumbed to it - do NOT burn paper, wood, refuse, etc.

Irrigation System

The system has been set to use the minimum volume of water necessary to maintain the lawn and landscaping. In addition, it has an intelligent controller which takes into account recent weather to adjust watering times - more water if hot & dry, less water if cool & wet . Do not shut off the system or change its settings. Please notify the property manager or owner if you notice any problems such as a sprinkler which is not working, a break or leak in the system, dry/brown areas of lawn or shrubs, or excess water outside the lawn/shrubs. The system will be adjusted or repaired.

To turn off water to the irrigation system first remove the green cover at the surface of the ground (it may be covered with mulch or leaves). Then turn the red valve handle below it 90 degrees clockwise so that it is perpendicular to the pipe. This will not turn off water to the house or exterior faucets. To do that see the top of this page.

Mildew & Mold Prevention

Please set the fan timer in each bathroom to run the fan for at least 30 minutes during/after showering or bathing.

Whole House Fan

Do NOT run the whole house fan while the fireplace is operating - it will draw smoke and soot into the house!

A whole house fan draws outside air in through open windows, moving the air in the house into the attic, where it is vented to the outside. The net result is that the air inside the house is replaced with the air outside. It is normally used in the evening/night, when the outside air is cooler than inside, to cool the house. The fan is very economical to run, only requiring the energy of a few light bulbs, and less than 5% of the energy of an air conditioner.

To use:

Be sure that the fan grille (in the hall ceiling) is uncovered.
Be sure that the fireplace is off & its damper and glass doors are closed (their handle is on the right) - very important - otherwise soot and ash may be sucked in from the fireplace into the house!
Be sure that the furnace/heating system is off (otherwise you will be blowing out the warm air you paid to heat).
Open one or more window(s) in the room(s) you wish to cool.
Turn on the fan via the top pair of buttons on the remote control, turning it off when the desired interior temperature is achieved.

In the winter heat from inside the house can escape via the fan grille into the attic. A magnetic cover is provided to cover the grille to prevent this. If you use the cover, be sure to put the fan remote control in a place where it can't be turned on, as running the fan with the cover in place will damage the fan.

Do NOT run the whole house fan while the fireplace is burning - it will suck smoke & soot into the house!

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