Report all infestations of pests such as ants, bedbugs, etc, as soon as you are aware of them.  See the fact sheet on bed bugs.  MJHA will make arrangements to have an expert pest treatment company investigate and deal with infestations.  The tenant will be notified and involved in any action that is deemed necessary.  Tenants will need to combine their efforts with the pest experts and the MJHA to take the necessary steps to manage the prevention and spread of insects.

OVENS/STOVES: Do not use the oven for long periods of time to heat the home. A stove is not an appliance made for the purpose of heating a home.  Extensive and/or long-term use for this reason puts a usage burden on the appliances and may cause it to prematurely stop working.  Secondly, when the stove is turned on it uses energy and the tenant pays for energy costs so this approach is very expensive for the tenant. Ensure there is proper air circulation in the home.  This will improve the flow of warm air as well as keep the air at a constant, warm temperature.  Layer up with extra sweaters; wear socks or slippers; and have cozy throws handy on couches and chairs for use when relaxing, reading or watching television.

SINK:  If something does not fit down the sink drain or is not water soluble (e.g. pampers), it needs to go into the garbage. Trying to dispose of inappropriate items down the kitchen drain will cause the sink drain to become plugged and nothing will do down the sink, not even water. Again, the only things to down the sink drain should be organic:  water, dish soap, very small bits of food and only if they fit through sink sieve.  If something does not go down the sink drain naturally when the water is running, it needs to go into the garbage.

BOILING WATER: Boiling water on the stove for lengthy periods of time will put too much moisture in the air and condensation will form.  This can lead to a condensation problem on the windows.  Excessive moisture can also cause problems if it accumulates on the walls by causing wetness on the wall and eventual absorption of that moisture into the drywall.  This can cause warping and deterioration of the drywall.  Humidity and poor air circulation in the house can cause mold to form.  Do not boil water on the stove other than for meal preparation.  If water is being boiled because the air is too dry, the best solution is to purchase a humidifier.  This appliance will ensure that the humidity in the air is at a consistent rate.  As cold as the outdoor temperatures can be in winter in Saskatchewan, boiling water to try to heat the air will not work.  It will only cause a cool, clammy environment in the house.  The tenant should stay dry and layer with extra clothes for additional warmth.

BATHING/SHOWERING: Bathing and bathroom use involves two of the most damaging elements to a home:  water and humidity. There are fans in the bathrooms.  These should be turned on when hot water is running in the bathroom and during either a shower or a bath.  They should left to run for 15 minutes after the water has been turned off.  The bathroom door should remain open, if possible, when the bathroom is not in use.  This will allow the air to circulate through the house better.  The bathroom fans can be turned on if there is excessive humidity in the house from boiling water, etc.

TOILET:  Do not flush items down the toilet when they will not fit and are not meant to be disposed of in a toilet this will cause the toilet to become plugged and then nothing will go down the toilet, not even water.  In that case, no one can use the toilet until it is unplugged.  If the tenant can’t unplug the toilet, the MJHA will then need to be called.  The tenant will be charged for this service, if they are responsible.  This is a preventable problem. The only things to go down the toilet should be organic:  human waste, some water soluble foods (e.g. cereal), toilet paper – NOT facial tissue (kleenex).  Have a plunger readily available to use if the toilet becomes plugged under normal circumstances.  Nothing that is larger than the hole in the toilet drain should be put in the toilet.  Do not put rigid plastic, metal, etc., material in the toilet, no matter how small.  They will not disintegrate in the water and may jam in the drainage pipes, if not now, perhaps later on as they jam somewhere along the drain line.

SINK:  If something does not fit down the sink drain or is not water soluble (e.g. pampers), it needs to go into the garbage. Trying to dispose of inappropriate items down the kitchen drain will cause the sink drain to become plugged and nothing will do down the sink, not even water. Again, the only things to down the sink drain should be organic:  water, dish soap, very small bits of food and only if they fit through sink sieve.  If something does not go down the sink drain naturally when the water is running, it needs to go into the garbage.

CLOSED INTERIOR DOORS:  Keep interior doors open, including bedroom doors to allow air to move more freely in your suite. If the doors inside the house are closed, then air cannot move freely throughout the house.  This can result in many of the issues already identified. Keep interior doors, especially bedroom doors, open whenever possible so air carrying warmth can circulate through the house.

Always use proper window coverings.  Do not cover windows with heavy blankets, sleeping bags, tinfoil, garbage bags, etc., especially when they are never opened this can cause damage to the suite because the air does not circulate through the room and around the window.  In winter, this causes condensation and ice to form on the windows.  The ice cannot melt because there is no air circulation. Ice and condensation can damage the windows and the window seal, reducing any insulation value in the window.

Make sure window coverings are far enough away from the window glass to allow for air circulation. Open window coverings for a while every day to allow for circulation. Use curtain rods. A proper curtain rod will ensure fabric curtains are a proper distance from the window to all for air circulation. Blinds are another option which will allow proper air circulation. Curtain rods may not hold the weight of heavy blankets and/or makeshift curtains.  Do not cover windows with tin foil, garbage bags, etc. to keep heat out this can cause damages as well. The heat caused by sunshine on the window can build up to a very high temperature.  Because that heat cannot move away from the window, it can cause the gas between the panes of glass to expand to the point that the window seal is broken or the glass actually cracks.  The window then no longer has any insulating value and must be replaced, at a cost to the tenant.

FILTERS:  Furnace filters must be replaced regularly to ensure heat efficiency.  If not it costs the tenant more money because the furnace will run longer trying to reach the temperature the thermostat is set at. Change furnace filters once a month in the winter months and at least every three months during the summer months.  

KEEP CLEAN:  Do not store boxes, clothing, items, etc. within one meter of the furnace.  By blocking the spaces near the furnace, fresh air cannot circulate through the furnace and will cause it to work inefficiently and therefore the suite will not be as warm as it could be.  It is also dangerous because the furnace has an open flame pilot light.  The space around the furnace must be kept clear so maintenance and repair persons have access.

THERMOSTAT:  Turning the thermostat to the maximum temperature setting is not necessary if there is good air circulation in the home.  It can be costly for your power bill.  Instead of turning the thermostat to its highest setting, lower the setting and put on an extra sweater.  Make sure the house has good air circulation and none of the heat registers or cold air returns are covered.

HEAT REGISTERS/COLD AIR RETURNS:  Tenants may find the suite to be too cold and want to be warmer.  Sometimes this is caused by poor air circulation, which can also be the cause of some problems in the home. Do not cover heat registers and cold air returns in the house, particularly with furniture and extra rugs as this blocks air circulation.  If heavy and solid furniture, such as couches, beds, chairs, are covering heat registers, the heat becomes trapped under the furniture and will not blow into the room and heat it as it should because the hot air is blocked.  Some registers in the house are meant to draw in the cold air in the room to circulate it back to the furnace.  This creates air circulation and evens out the house temperature.  These registers must not be blocked by heavy furniture and/or rugs because the air will not circulate properly and warm air will not circulate through the house.  You can tell which is a hot air register and which is a cold air return by putting your hand in front of the vent or register when they are blowing and feel the difference.  Do not position furniture over top of or in front of either heat registers or cold air returns.  In some cases, there may be a need to either rearrange the furniture or reduce the amount of furnishings in the house to reach this goal.

Do not store boxes, clothing, items, etc. within one meter of the hot water heater.  By blocking the spaces near the hot water heater, fresh air cannot circulate around it and will cause it to work inefficiently.  It is also dangerous because the hot water heater has an open flame pilot light.  The space around the hot water heater must be kept clear so maintenance and repair persons have access.

When garbage is kept inside too long or stored in the basement or entryway (especially organic garbage) it attracts undesirable bugs and pests which may infest the home.  Garbage can emit a bad odour as organic materials in the garbage begin to deteriorate.  As this unpleasant odour begins to cling to fabric and furniture, it can become very difficult to get rid of.  Should garbage fall out of a garbage bag for some reason, it may stain flooring and release any contaminants present into the home. Tie up garbage and put into garbage bins the same day.

Do not overload the washer since it could damage the machine. Ensure that the dryer is fitted with a proper venting kit. The hose must be aluminum rather than plastic and it must be vented to outside the residence to reduce dust and humidity in your home. Since lint on dryer screen is a fire hazard, remove lint from the dryer screen after each use. Ensure the washer is level, a Washer that is not level uses more power and wears out sooner. Dry loads of laundry immediately after each other while the dryer is still hot.

Ensure your appliances are in good operating condition. Contact Moose Jaw Housing authority as soon as possible if they are in need of repair.

DRYING CLOTHING ETC.: Do not hang wet clothes on water lines in the basement to dry out. These pipes are used to move the water through the house and are not very strong.  When several pieces of clothing are wet and are hung to dry, the combined weight can be very heavy and can cause these light-weight pipes to bend under the weight of the clothes.  As a result, these pipes weaken and can begin to leak. Find another alternatives to hanging up the clothes.  This might include using the outdoor clothesline provided with the house.  Outdoor clotheslines can be used year round.  Also, indoor clothes lines and/or drying racks are available in some of the stores such as Canadian Tire and WalMart.

Do not disconnect smoke detectors and/or CO² detectors they are there to protect the tenant and protect the property.  Smoke detectors can be triggered by excessive humidity.  Improved air circulation should reduce the number of false alarms.  Reduced humidity will have the same effect.