March

A faucet dripping once a second wastes more than 3,000 gallons a year, which is why the EPA gives leaks a week every March. On a two-handle faucet the drip almost always comes from a worn rubber washer or a worn brass seat; the City of Rio Rancho's guide says to run a finger along the seat rim and replace it with a seat wrench if it feels pitted. Washers are inexpensive and take minutes once the water is shut off at the stop valve under the fixture and the faucet opened to confirm it is off. Take the old parts to the store, or match the stem by number. Read how a compression faucet works first; it shows which part does what.

Single-handle tub and shower valves do not use washers. Moen's own troubleshooting says a shower that keeps running or dripping with the handle in the off position needs its cartridge replaced, and that if the water pressure drops as you turn from cold toward hot, the cartridge is the suspect there too. Before you buy one, rule out a mis-set temperature limit stop, which only restricts how far the handle turns. Read how a pressure-balance shower valve works.

Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March (Hawaii, most of Arizona and the territories sit it out). The CDC ties the clock change to checking carbon monoxide detector batteries each spring and fall, and CPSC has run the same reminder for smoke alarms. USFA's rule for smoke alarms is batteries at least once a year and a whole new alarm every 10 years. For CO alarms, follow the date or end-of-life signal on the unit: the CDC says every 5 years or per the manufacturer.

NDSU Extension's spring routine: pour water into the pit until the float turns the pump on, make sure it turns on and off at least twice, and check that the discharge pipe outside is not plugged and sends water away from the house. FEMA notes that basements flood when the primary pump stops, when the power goes out, or when heavy rain overloads it, and suggests a battery-operated backup pump for outages.

ENERGY STAR's advice is to check the cooling system in spring and the heating system in fall, because contractors get busy once summer and winter arrive. A proper cooling tune-up includes checking the thermostat, tightening electrical connections, lubricating moving parts, inspecting the condensate drain, checking system controls, cleaning the evaporator and condenser coils, and checking the refrigerant level. Read how a central air conditioner and a heat pump move heat.

The University of Georgia's home checklist puts gutters and downspouts in both spring and fall columns and says downspouts should discharge water 2 to 3 feet from the house. FEMA's flooding guidance: keep gutters, downspouts and splash pads clear so rainwater flows away, and improve grading so the lot drains away from the foundation. The EPA's mold guide makes the same point from the inside: make sure the ground slopes away from the foundation.