7 Important Home Maintenance Tips You Need to Be Doing
The most common home repairs in 2019 were plumbing system, air conditioning, refrigerator, and heating system repairs according to ConsumerAffairs.
If you’re a homeowner, you know that it’s expensive to get a technician out to make repairs to your home’s systems. However, many times the work is so specialized that it’s worth hiring someone rather than trying to figure out how to fix the problem yourself.
You can avoid having these problems pop up altogether, though. By following these home maintenance tips, you can support the health of your home’s systems so you run into fewer unexpected problems in the future.
Take a look at our basic home maintenance checklist with seven important tasks you should put on your weekly, monthly, or annual chore calendar.
1. Air Filters, Ducts, and Vents
One important task on your home maintenance checklist is regularly changing your home’s HVAC system air filter. Neglecting to change your air filter doesn’t just increase your energy bill, but it can also make breathing problems and allergies worse for members of your household.
How often you should change your filter has to do with a number of factors. These include how many people are living in the house, if you have pets, or if anyone in the household has allergies.
You’ll also want to make sure the ducts and vents of your HVAC system are clean. You can clean your vents with your vacuum every couple of months. In order to clean your ducts, you’ll probably want to hire a professional.
2. Dryer Vent and Hose
The leading cause of residential fires is actually clothes dryers. Every year, there are 2,900 home clothes dryer fires that can lead to death, injury, and property loss. However, clothes dryers aren’t inherently dangerous, but rather a lot of people don’t keep their lint trap and dryer hose as clean as they should be.
You’ll want to empty the lint trap of your dryer every time you use it. You will also want to inspect the exhaust house a few times a year. There are attachments you can buy to clean out the hose.
On top of reducing the risk of fire, keeping your vent and hose clean can help your dryer work better and reduce your energy bills.
3. Gutters
Your gutters need to be kept free of debris if you want them to work as intended. It’s best to clean them twice a year, with many homeowners choosing to clean them in the spring and then again in the fall. You might want to do this job more often if you have any trees in your yard that drop pinecones, leaves, fruit, or sticks onto your roof.
4. Refridgerator Coils
The coils under your fridge can be a major magnet for dirt and dust. Over time, these coils can get caked in grime which makes it so they can’t operate as efficiently. This can be rough on your energy bill.
Sometimes coils are located on the back of the fridge, and these can get quite grimey too. No matter where they are located, it’s important to clean them with some regularity (once or twice a year.)
5. Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans have a magic power when it comes to collecting dust. It’s easy to forget about them when you’re doing your daily cleaning because they are positioned out of the way on the ceiling. However, try to get to this at least once a month, otherwise, they’ll just be raining dirt on your home when you turn them on.
6. Drains
Flushing your drains is a good thing to add to your home maintenance checklist. This can help you avoid dealing with clogged drains or other drain issues that are a hassle and can create a mess.
This maintenance is easy and cheap and is definitely preferable to dealing with a clogged drain.
Every week, boil a large pot of water and pour half of it down your drain. Let that set for five minutes before pouring the rest down the drain.
Doing this can help to dislodge any debris or grease that is hanging out in your drain.
Every month, consider using an enzymatic cleaner to keep your drains clean and fresh. This can help to break down any organic matter that is lodged in your drain.
If you haven’t been sticking to a drain maintenance schedule, you might have found yourself here before your drains are clogged. Before you call the plumber, check out these tips for choosing the best drain cleaning and repair service.
7. Home Siding
Does your home look a bit, well, grungey from the outside? If so, there is an easy fix that can really spruce things up. Whether you buy a pressure washer, rent one, or hire someone to do the job, pressure washing your siding can make you feel like you bought a brand new home.
These Home Maintenance Tips Will Help You Keep Your House in Tip-Top Shape!
While performing home maintenance tasks might not be everyone’s idea of a good time, you’ll learn to love these jobs once you realize that they are helping you avoid costly repairs and annoying problems. When you do a little bit of maintenance every month or even a few times a year, it can make a huge difference in how well the systems of your house function.
Did you find this article full of home maintenance tips helpful? If so, be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more interesting and informative articles!
