Hardworking home appliances are usually taken for granted. We don't give them much attention until they stop working. Most of us are surprised when there is no hot water for the morning shower. Periodic checking can prevent these unpleasant encounters.

Household appliances that burn fuel, such as water heaters and furnaces and sometimes clothes dryers must be vented to the outside. You can and should check the draft of these appliances. This is an important maintenance item and is absolutely critical to the well being of the home's occupants. Byproducts of combustion can be hazardous.

You can find out if your water heater is venting properly by locating the draft diverter or hood. It is a funnel shaped piece of flue pipe that connects to and usually sits on the top of the water heater. When you hear the burner come on, hold a piece of tissue paper close to the opening of the draft hood, near the bottom. The paper should pull in. If it doesn't, the water heater is back drafting.

Be sure that your water heater only has a single draft hood in place. Oftentimes, the old draft diverter isn't removed when a new water heater with its own draft hood is installed, creating a common double draft hood configuration which can easily lead to the spillage of flue gases into the living area.

Check for corroded pipes that can allow flue gases such as carbon monoxide into your home. Do not repair with aluminum foil or makeshift measures. Call in the experts. You can also test for flue spillage from the base of the water heater by holding a mirror near the suspected leak area. If the mirror becomes foggy, this indicates the spillage of flue gases which also can contain carbon monoxide. This condition indicates defective venting and needs to be corrected.

It is important to avoid storing combustible materials near your water heater. Do not place any items on top of the water heater. To avoid the potential for fire, keep the areas surrounding the appliance free of clutter.

Poor ventilation, corroded pipes and surrounding clutter are cause for a potentially lethal situation. If you're not sure about the potential problems, have your water heater checked regularly and save yourself the worry of wondering whether or not you and your family are safe.

Summer may be over but you don't have to give up the good taste of grilled foods. With the increased popularity of gas grills, lots of us use the grill year round. Whether you're using a gas or charcoal grill, food preparation is easier and more enjoyable if the grill is clean and properly maintained.

Before you light the barbecue, spray the rack liberally with a non-stick cooking spray. Food won't stick and cleanup will be a lot easier. If the grill surface is caked with baked-on food, wrap the rack in heavy-duty aluminum foil, dull side facing out. Heat the grill to high, and place the wrapped rack over the flame (or coals) for 12-15 minutes. When the rack is cool, remove the foil. All the burned on grease and food will fall away, leaving the grill rack spotless and ready to grill again.

Immediately after you've removed the cooked food from the grill, make a ball of aluminum foil and scrub the warm rack. Take care not to burn your fingers. If you use permanent briquettes in your grill, you can clean them by flipping them over, and letting the grill burn for about 15 minutes with the cover closed. Before you set a pan on the grill to warm barbecue sauce or other food, rub the bottom of the pan with a bar of soap. The soot will be easier to clean off later.

Putting the grill rack in the tub is a popular way to clean it, but then you're faced with cleaning the tub, too. This alternative to the bathtub is very effective: Moisten paper towels with undiluted household ammonia, and then lay them on both sides of the grill rack. Put the rack in a large garbage bag, seal it, and leave it overnight. The next day, open the bag carefully and away from your face (because it stinks). Wipe the grill rack with the paper towels in the bag and then wash with soapy water and rinse.

Don't forget to clean the outside of the grill. Use paper towels and a waterless hand cleaner. Work the cleaner into the metal, paying particular attention to the areas where grease or food has dripped. Do not rinse. Instead, buff the surface to a shine with paper towels.

If your grill has a window, clean the interior surface of the glass with oven cleaner. Spray the cleaner on, wait a few minutes, and wipe clean.