Annual Home Maintenance

[DHMag]

This is a reminder to all home owners and home renters to do some maintenance on your home. Your home is an investment and should be given the care it deserves.


The last week of every year, I flush my water heater, change the whole house pleated filter (intake filter gets changed every month), clean the A/C Condenser, and do a walk around to note any structure changes.

You could also add changing smoke/CO2 alarm batteries, check fire extinguisher charge...

Who here will admit that they don't do these things ? Lol

Anyone have anything else to add ?

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[Joeiconic]

Yep, I am big on maintenance. Will add….make sure your gutters are clean and that water drains away from the home effectively. Keep shrubbery trimmed away from the house for air circulation to prevent mold/mildew on your siding.

 

[Chris M]

Ever since moving to AZ in 2008, I have had service contracts for my plumbing and heat/AC. Plumbing is checked all over the house inside and out, and water heater flushed. HVAC is checked spring and fall so as to catch issues early. I do my own interior filters but not monthly as I probably should.

For those of us with carbon monoxide detectors...stay on top of those too. I just had my very old ones replaced. Previous owners had not done it ever.

I am not as handy or knowledgeable as most of you, so my challenge was finding people to do these things for us that were knowledgeable, thorough, but reasonably priced. I believe I've done that and am comforted to know my systems are well looked after.

 

[AzScorpion]

Ever since moving to AZ in 2008, I have had service contracts for my plumbing and heat/AC. Plumbing is checked all over the house inside and out, and water heater flushed. HVAC is checked spring and fall so as to catch issues early. I do my own interior filters but not monthly as I probably should.

For those of us with carbon monoxide detectors...stay on top of those too. I just had my very old ones replaced. Previous owners had not done it ever.

I am not as handy or knowledgeable as most of you, so my challenge was finding people to do these things for us that were knowledgeable, thorough, but reasonably priced. I believe I've done that and am comforted to know my systems are well looked after.

In the summer I change my filters every 30 days since the ac is running non stop. But after October I'll change them out again on January 1 seeing as the furnace is barely running. Then bout every 45 days until the heat settles in again.

Another thing to do is make sure you spray down your outside condenser coils after a dust storm. They can get clogged with dust making the unit run hooter and less efficient. Rinse with a hose on the fan setting and do not use high pressure as it will damage the coils. I actually rinse mine off several times throughout the summer as we seem to have a lot of dust in my area with all the building going on.

 

[MountainGoat]

I used to flush my water heater all the time in my old house because I had a full basement, the sump pump was right next to it and pumped to a stream. Now in MO there is no where to drain it to. If I use a hose it has to go up stairs and into the yard.

One thing I liked about NJ is all the plumbing had copper pipes. Here everyone uses PVC even for hot lines. On top of that the wood stove heats the hot water to 185 and it can't be adjusted. I have to let it burn down to empty the water luckily we are at 60ish all week here. Ah the throes of getting a fixer upper. Good deal but the AC and water heater going is just a matter of time. At least I won't have to sweat pipe again.

 

[Fordup]

The one most forget is clean your dryer vent. I use my M18 blower and remove the flap doors. Something always blows out. Many houses burn down due to neglected dryer vents.

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