Yearly Home Maintenance Checklist

A new year holds a lot of excitement, adventure, and surprises. Some of the surprises your home might bring you can be costly. The following list of monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual home maintenance tips can help you save hard earned money and prevent any of those costly “surprises” this year.

This year, to increase house efficiency and better maintain your home, you might want to create a calendar to stay on track. Take some of the tasks listed, write them down as regular weekend chores, and stick to them. You can keep your home running smoothly for years to come!

Monthly

• Inspect your fire extinguisher(s) – Assuming you have a fire extinguisher, the inspecting does not require much. Check that the gauge shows sufficient pressure, that it has no visible signs of wear, and the extinguisher has easy access.
• Clean kitchen sink disposal – There are multiple ways to do this, but one of the better solutions would be to use vinegar ice cubes. Freeze some vinegar in an ice tray and run the cubes through the disposal. The ice clears or cleans the impellers in the disposal for maximum efficiency and freshness.
• Inspect/Replace HVAC filters – Experts advise changing the filters monthly, but for smaller families without pets or allergies, you will likely be okay changing filters every 2-3 months. If the filter’s dirty then change it out. Otherwise, inspect it again next month.
• Clean range hood filters – If running your vent hood grease filter through the dishwasher or typical household grease cleaners wouldn’t work, try a water-based degreaser from the auto parts store. Simply fill the sink with hot water and degreaser and drop in the filter. A few minutes of soaking will have the filter clean, then just rinse it off.

Quarterly

• Test smoke detectors – Simple enough task, just use your detectors “test” button and see if the alarm sounds. If not, replace the batteries and try again. If it doesn’t work after replacing the batteries you can either try to clean the battery terminal and test it again or just replace the detector.
• Check water softener – Add salt to your softener if needed. You shouldn’t need to add salt every month, but better to check because it’s a quick fix. Click here for a video with more info on maintaining water softener.
• Run water in guest rooms/unused areas – For any sinks, toilets, water sources in areas that aren’t in use on a regular basis. Running the water will help prevent grime or any kind of build-up.

Semi Annually

• Vacuum / Coil brush your refrigerator coils – Your refrigerator can use up to 15% of your home’s total power, so you want it running as efficiently as possible. In time, the coils will get dirty and the dirtier the coils the more energy your unit will use to operate. You can save up to $100 a year by completing this simple task.
• Test relief valve on your water heater – Testing this valve will protect your water heater from leaks by preventing mineral and corrosion buildup and also increase its efficiency.
• Completely clean your house – As simple as this task seems, it is completely necessary to keep everything running up to its full potential by not allowing dirt, dust, or grime to build up. Every six months, take a day to debunk your entire place with your family!

Follow through with these tasks and your house will certainly be in better shape!