Considering how hectic each day can get, home maintenance may be the last thing on your busy mind. But keeping your home in shape from top to bottom is important. Upkeep is critical to your home’s longevity – no matter what its current age. Regular attention to key components of your home also can help keep you and your family safe and comfortable. And it can hep you save money over the short- and long-term. Here are some important home maintenance tasks for every homeowner:
Check your heating and cooling systems: Your air conditioner and furnace need regular attention. Have them professionally inspected at least once a year to ensure they run efficiently and safely. Regular maintenance can help your system last longer and can help make sure it’s safe to use.
Replace or clean your HVAC filters regularly: When a home is sealed for temperature control (to ensure coolness in the summer and warmth during winter), your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning filters can get filled up with dust, mold, pet dander and pollen. Replace or clean your filters regularly, depending on whether you’re using the disposable or permanent variety. Keeping up with this simple task can help your heating and cooling system operate efficiently and safely and help improve the air quality in your home.
Take steps to prevent mold: Look for it. Find it. Get rid of it. Places it could be hiding out include around the bathtub, underneath the kitchen sink or lurking down below in the basement. Experts recommend bleach to banish the mold. But if conditions are really bad, a mold remediation expert may need to be called in. One important way to avoid moldy conditions is to fix any drips or leaks in a timely manner and to inspect (and repair, if needed) your roof regularly.
Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. The batteries in battery-powered smoke detectors should be changed at least once a year. Did you know that the units themselves should be replaced every 10 years? You’ll want to test units monthly. If you aren’t sure how old the smoke detectors are in your new home, replace them. The National Fire Protection Association recommends smoke alarms be installed inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. Each home should have carbon monoxide detectors on each floor and make sure that they are replaced every five years. (Check each alarm’s manufacture date so you know when it’s time for a replacement.)
Clean your dryer filters and vents. Clogged filters and vents are a fire hazard. Lint can collect in filters and vents, which also can make it more difficult for your dryer to do its job. Clean your dryer filter after each load or two and inspect and clean dryer vents once a year.
Clean and adjust your ceiling fans for the season. Believe it or not, small adjustments to your household ceiling fans can help reduce energy costs and make you feel warm and fuzzy or calm and cool. Depending on their spin direction, ceiling fans create an airflow that should change with the seasons. Try having them rotate clockwise in cooler months and the opposite during summer. Clean them regularly to remove the dust that tends to collect on the blades. Your energy bill and body will thank you!
