Check for Toilet Leaks With Food Coloring, and Clean Your Fridge Coils

Water leaking from your toilet tank costs you money on your utility bill and can cause water damage and premature wear. To check if a tank is leaking, drop some food coloring into the water tank and check an hour later; if the bowl shows signs of color, you have a bad flapper that needs replacing.

This simple cleaning step can eliminate more than 70 percent of service calls, and skipping it means paying $5 to $10 a month extra on your utility bill because the fridge isn't running efficiently. Do it twice a year, or more often if you have shedding pets, since their fur clogs the coils fast. Condenser coils, located on the back or bottom of the fridge, cool and condense the refrigerant; when clogged with dirt and dust, the compressor has to work harder and longer, using more energy and shortening the fridge's life. Clean them with a bendable coil cleaning brush and vacuum, which can also be used on dehumidifier and air conditioner coils.