Some Home Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Home Safe and Sound

In order to keep your car running smoothly, you need to do regular maintenance on it such as keeping the oil changed, tires in shape and gas tank filled.  By keeping a regular maintenance schedule, you help prevent major problems that could end up costing hundreds of dollars.  The same thing is true of your home.  By following the home maintenance tips below, you can prevent many expensive repairs down the road. 

The first set of home maintenance tips I’d like to discuss deal with keeping a regular schedule for safety items.  These tests should be done on a monthly basis.  First, test all smoke alarms and dust them—using a vacuum is even an idea.  Dust and spider webs can clog your smoke detector and cause it not to run.  Windows should be tested regularly to insure they are easily raised.  If a fire should occur, you and your family may need to escape through a window and you will want it to open smoothly.  The same goes for your garage door.  Check it on a monthly basis to make sure it works smoothly.  You don’t want to get trapped inside.

Our next set of home maintenance tips focus on what you can do monthly to keep your home running properly.  Take a look at all spigots.  Clean the showerhead take a moment to run water down any drains that have remained unused.  This will help prevent clogging.  You may want to pour a little baking soda into all drains and run hot water.  This will help keep them clean and fresh. 

Our home maintenance tips now wander into the basement, or wherever your furnace and hot water tank are located.  Check your furnace filter and replace or clean it if it has become clogged or dirty.  Drain a couple gallons of water from your hot water tank.  Dirt tends to settle at the bottom of the hot water tank and draining the water helps insure the dirt is removed.  If left, it can clog the water tank and you will find the tank does not work as efficiently as it should.

A few final home maintenance tips for pet owners.  Because pets shed and the hair can cause problems in many areas, it is advisable to clean heat ducts, air conditioning filters and the refrigerator coils on a monthly basis.  This will keep the hair to a minimum and prevent fans from becoming clogged and inefficient.

Following the above home maintenance tips will help keep your home running more smoothly and efficiently.  Appliances will work better and be less likely to fall victim to problems that may require hiring a professional to come in.  The money you can save on repairs each year may enable you to take a vacation!

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