Home Maintenance

Spring Home Maintenance Tips

  • After consulting your hot water tank owner’s manual, carefully test the temperature and pressure relief valve to ensure it is not stuck. (Caution: This test may release hot water that can cause burns)
  • Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season
  • Have fireplace or woodstove and chimney cleaned and serviced as needed
  • Check air conditioning system and have serviced every two or three years.
  • Clean or replace air conditioning filter (if applicable).
  • Check dehumidifier and clean if necessary
  • Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms and replace batteries
  • Clean windows, screens and hardware, and replace storm windows with screens. Check screens first and repair or replace if needed
  • Open valve to outside hose connection after all danger of frost has passed
  • Examine the foundation walls for cracks, leaks or signs of moisture, and repair as required. Repair and paint fences as necessary
  • Ensure sump pump is operating properly before the spring thaw sets in. Ensure discharge pipe is connected and allows water to drain away from the foundation.
  • Re-level any exterior steps or decks which moved due to frost or settling
  • Check gutters and downspouts for loose joints and secure attachment to your home, clear any obstructions, and ensure water flows away from your foundation
  • Clear all drainage ditches and culverts of debris
  • Undertake spring landscape maintenance and, if necessary, fertilize young trees.

Summer Home Maintenance Tips

  • If you have a plumbing fixture that is not used frequently, for example, a laundry tub or spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall, run some water briefly to keep water in the trap
  • Deep clean carpets and rugs
  • Vacuum bathroom fan grille
  • Disconnect the duct connected to the dryer and vacuum lint from duct, the areas surrounding your clothes dryer and your dryer’s vent hood outside
  • Check security of all guardrails and handrails
  • Check smooth functioning of all windows and lubricate as required
  • Lubricate door hinges and tighten screws as needed.
  • Lubricate garage door hardware and ensure it is operating properly
  • Lubricate automatic garage door opener motor, chain, etc. and ensure that the auto-reverse mechanism is properly adjusted

 Fall Home Maintenance Tips

  • Have furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified service company every two years for a gas furnace
  • Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season
  • Remove the grilles on forced air systems and vacuum inside the ducts
  • Clean portable humidifier, if one is used
  • Check sump pump and line to ensure proper operation, and to ascertain that there are no line obstructions or visible leaks
  • Ensure all doors to the outside shut tightly, and check other doors for ease of use. Renew door weather-stripping if required
  • Clean leaves from gutters and roofs, and test downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof
  • Drain and store outdoor hoses. Close valve to outdoor hose connection and drain the hose bib (exterior faucet), unless your house has frost proof hose bibs.
  • Winterize landscaping, for example, store outdoor furniture, prepare gardens and, if necessary, protect young trees or bushes for winter

 Winter Home Maintenance Tips

  • Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season.
  • After consulting your hot water tank owner’s manual, drain off a dishpan full of water from the clean-out valve at the bottom of your hot water tank to control sediment and maintain efficiency.
  • Vacuum bathroom fan grille
  • Vacuum fire and smoke detectors, as dust or spider webs can prevent them from functioning.
  • Vacuum radiator grilles on back of refrigerators and freezers, and empty and clean drip trays
  • Check gauge on all fire extinguishers; recharge or replace if necessary
  • Check fire escape routes, door and window locks and hardware, and lighting around outside of house; ensure family has good security habits
  • Monitor your home for excessive moisture levels—for example, condensation on your windows, which can cause significant damage over time and pose serious health problems—and take corrective action
  • Clean drains in dishwasher, sinks, bathtubs and shower stalls
  • Check electrical cords, plugs and outlets for all indoor and outdoor seasonal lights to ensure fire safety: if worn, or plugs or cords feel warm to the touch, replace immediately
  • Test plumbing shut-off valves to ensure they are working and to prevent them from seizing

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