We are almost a full week into 2007… have you broken your New Year’s resolution yet? I have. Oh well. I had resolved to concentrate more on home maintenance, but I can barely muster enough energy to put away the holiday decorations, so you can see what foot I’ve gotten off on…
In all seriousness, the first part of the year is an ideal time to develop a strategy for household maintenance, if for no other reason than to prevent costly problems down the road. It’s no secret that designing and implementing a plan to upkeep your home will end up saving you time and money in the long run because routine maintenance can help avoid larger, more expensive repairs. Think of it as an annual physical for your home. The task may sound daunting, but if you break it down into a several reasonable exercises the job won’t be as overwhelming as you may fear.
Here are some tips you can resolve to adopt in the year ahead:
1. Electricity. It’s a good idea to routinely check your electrical system’s load center; specifically check its age and look for signs of wear or exposed wires.
2. Water. Examine your home’s water pipes and sewer lines for cracks, rusting and leaking. Create a checklist to include testing your faucets’ water pressure and volume, also look for clogged or sluggish drains or dripping faucets. Experts recommend that you wrap your pipes with heating tape every winter and insulate unfinished rooms such as garages if they contain exposed pipes. Don’t forget to check for signs of leaking or rusting on your water heater.
3. Heat. A simple tip to help maintain your heating system: clean and vacuum dust from vents, baseboard heaters and cold-air returns. You should also check your heating system for leaks and cracks. Also, if you don’t already do so you should consider having your heating system serviced every year–in addition to maintaining your furnace, fireplace, boiler, water heater, space heater and wood-burning stove.
4. Gas. This is a good time of year to have your appliances inspected for gas leaks and adequate ventilation. Also, check your smoke and fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
Look for more tips in future blogs.
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