10/15/2011
Home Maintenance Schedule
Regular Maintenance is the Key
Inspecting your home on a regular basis and following good maintenance practices are the best way to protect your investment in your home. Whether you take care of a few tasks at a time or several all at once, it is important to get into the habit of doing them. Establish a routine for yourself, and you will find the work is easy to accomplish and not very time-consuming. A regular schedule of seasonal maintenance can put a stop to the most common — and costly — problems, before they occur.
By following the information noted here, you will learn about protecting your investment and how to help keep your home a safe and healthy place to live.
Seasonal Home Maintenance
Most home maintenance activities are seasonal. Fall is the time to get your home ready for the coming winter, which can be the most gruelling season for your home. During winter months, it is important to follow routine maintenance procedures, by checking your home carefully for any problems that may arise and taking corrective action as soon as possible. Spring is the time to assess winter damage, start repairs and prepare for warmer months. Over the summer, there are a number of indoor and outdoor maintenance tasks to look after, such as repairing walkways and steps, painting and checking your chimney and roof.
Here are some helpful Fall Maintenance tips;
Fall
Have furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified service company every two years for a gas furnace, and every year for an oil furnace, or as recommended by the manufacturer.
If you have central air conditioning, make sure the drain pan under the cooling coil mounted in the furnace plenum is draining properly and is clean.
Lubricate circulating pump on hot water heating system.
Disconnect the power to the furnace and examine the forced-air furnace fan belt, if installed, for wear, looseness or noise; clean fan blades of any dirt buildup.
Check chimneys for obstructions such as nests.
Vacuum electric baseboard heaters to remove dust.
Remove the grilles on forced-air systems and vacuum inside the ducts.
Turn ON gas furnace pilot light (if your furnace has one), set the thermostat to “heat” and test the furnace for proper operation by raising the thermostat setting until the furnace starts to operate. Once you have confirmed proper operation, return the thermostat to the desired setting.
Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season. Ventilation system, such as heat recovery ventilator, filters should be checked every two months.
Check to see that bathroom exhaust fans and range hoods are operating properly. If possible, confirm that you are getting good airflow by observing the outside vent hood (the exterior damper should be held open by the airflow).
Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms, and replace batteries.
Clean portable humidifier, if one is used.
Ensure windows and skylights close tightly; repair or replace weatherstripping, as needed.
Ensure all doors to the outside shut tightly, and check other doors for ease of use. Replace door weatherstripping if required.
If there is a door between your house and the garage, check the adjustment of the self-closing device to ensure it closes the door completely.
Cover outside of air-conditioning units and shut off power.
Ensure that the ground around your home slopes away from the foundation wall, so that water does not drain into your basement.
Clean leaves from eavestroughs and roof, and test downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof.
Drain and store outdoor hoses. Close interior valve to outdoor hose connection and drain the hose bib (exterior faucet), unless your house has frost-proof hose bibs.
If you have a water well, have the water tested for quality. It is recommended that you test for bacteria every six months.
If you have a septic tank, measure the sludge and scum to determine if the tank needs to be emptied before the spring. Tanks should be pumped out at least once every three years.
Winterize landscaping, for example, store outdoor furniture, prepare gardens and, if necessary, protect young trees or bushes for winter.
Hope these tips are helpful. . . winter tips to follow in a few weeks!
