What home jobs should you do in April?

April home maintenance: the checklist

Before the hottest months, get the aircon ready, keep cooling costs down, clear stagnant water every week and make sure windows and drains can handle afternoon storms. Work through these seven jobs in April, starting with the aircon.

• Service the aircon. Book aircon servicing so each unit is cleaned and checked before the hot afternoons.
• Clean the filters. Check the filters once a month and clean or replace them when necessary.
• Set 25 degrees C and use the timer. Set the aircon at 25 degrees C and the timer to switch off half an hour earlier than usual.
• Close the curtains in the afternoon. Draw curtains or blinds during the hottest part of the day.
• Do the Mozzie Wipeout weekly. Look for stagnant water around the home and clear it at least once a week.
• Check windows before storms. Before the afternoon thunderstorms of the inter-monsoon period, make sure windows close properly and balcony drains are clear.
• Check the water heater timer. Make sure it still matches when your household uses hot water, and switch appliances off at the socket before a trip away.

This hot season home prep is mostly simple. Apart from the servicing, the items are checks and settings you can do yourself. You only need to call someone if a check turns up a problem, such as a window that will not close properly. The sections below explain why each job matters in April.

Why April: the weather

April falls in the first of Singapore's two inter-monsoon periods. The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) describes the period from late March to May as one of light and variable winds, with thunderstorms, at times severe, in the afternoon and early evening. MSS adds that hot afternoons are common in this first inter-monsoon period. After it, the Southwest Monsoon runs from June to September, with occasional Sumatra squalls between the predawn hours and midday, and short afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common.

Those patterns shape the April list. If you run the aircon more on hot afternoons, it is worth having each unit serviced and the settings right before then. Storms that build in the afternoon can arrive while you are out, so close the windows before you leave home and keep balcony and ledge drains clear of leaves. The same storm checks stay useful through the Southwest Monsoon months that follow.

Keep cooling costs down

The National Environment Agency (NEA) publishes energy saving tips for households, and several apply directly to the aircon. Set the temperature at 25 degrees C, and set the timer to switch off half an hour earlier than usual. Check the filter once a month, clean or replace it when necessary, and service aircon units regularly. NEA also suggests closing curtains or blinds during the hottest part of the day, and points out that many appliances still draw power after being switched off, so turn them off at the socket.

For more on getting the most from these settings, read the guide to aircon settings to save electricity.

Mosquitoes after the rain

Afternoon thunderstorms leave water behind in places that are easy to miss. NEA says Aedes mosquitoes breed in clean, stagnant water, and water as small as a 20-cent coin is enough. Its advice is to do the Mozzie Wipeout at least once a week. NEA also carries out dengue inspections of homes.

Pick one day each week and walk through the home. Look at anything that can hold even a little water: containers, trays, pails, window ledges and the corners of a balcony. Tip the water out, dry the spot and store containers so they cannot fill up again when it rains.

For a fuller routine, see the guide on how to prevent mosquito breeding at home.

The rest of the year

April is one stop in a routine that runs all year. The weekly water check and the monthly filter check do not end with the hot afternoons, so keep both going after April.

To plan the other months, start with the home maintenance calendar. If you like to plan well ahead, the January home checklist covers the jobs for the start of the year.

It also helps to keep a simple record: when each aircon was last serviced, when you last cleaned the filters and any repairs done during the year. With that record, you can tell a company what was done last time and plan the next round without guessing.

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