Home maintenance is an essential part of living in a home. Yet it’s a little bit like being a parent, lots of people do it but there is no real training for it. You move into your own home and all of a sudden you have to maintain everything. Some equipment you may have never have seen before and have no idea how it works. Therefore I have created this list of 10 essential home maintenance jobs to help point you in the right direction.
Lets start with a nasty one that no one wants to deal with. The correct type of plunger for unblocking a toilet is the black plunger in the image. The red plunger is for a sink. With the correct plunger clear the blockage, once cleared flush the toilet a few times. This makes sure the blockage has completely cleared and not just moved a few inches further down the pipe. If you toilet seems to block regularly your next step is to use a chemical drain cleaner.
Air conditioning units are something we all take for granted until they don’t work. Therefore doing some basic maintenance is essential to keep your very expensive system working correctly and efficiently. You should change the filter about every 2 months. However you may need a different schedule depending on climate and if you have pets. When you change the filter check it for dust. If it has a fairly thick layer of dust you waited too long. Dusty filters cause the AC to work harder, increasing your utility bill and shortening the life of your AC unit.
You should also flush out your AC drain regularly too. If not it will get blocked close the overflow sensor and your AC will shut off (first thing to check if your AC turns off). There is normally a cap to access the drain, remove the cap and use a hose to flush out the drain. You can then add some diluted bleach to clear out any algae that may have formed in the pipe.
The first thing I recommend for the hot water heater is to turn the temperature down to 120 degrees. Which should be hot enough for a nice shower. You are just wasting energy and money if you have the water set too hot on the water heater.
Over time sediment from the water will start to build up in the bottom of the boiler. This sediment reduces the efficiency of the water heater and shortens it life. However you can flush out the sediment by attaching a hose to the drain tap and opening the valve. Make sure you turn off the hot water and power prior performing this home maintenance task.
Fixing leaks in faucets and drains is a very important home maintenance task. Faucets that leak are extremely annoying, ruin the sink or bath with water marks and have a surprising affect on your water bill. Sometimes you can just tighten the faucet components or replace the rubber washers. However usually replacing the faucet is the best solution.
You cannot ignore leaking drains! Water dripping under the sink will completely destroy the cabinet or vanity very quickly. The water can also soak into the wall destroying the drywall. Not to mention the mold, which can cause thousands of dollars in damages and significantly affect your health. If you notice any leaks try to tighten the screw connectors to see if the leak stops. If a leak continues, place a container to collect any water and call a plumber to rectify the issue as soon as possible.
It is important to make sure your gutters are clean and efficiently moving rainwater away from your house. Trees provide lots of shade which helps reduce your AC bills, however falling foliage quickly block your gutters. Thus the rain water stays in the gutter which can have lots of negative effects. Just the weight of the water can damage gutters or even the roof. However cleaning the gutters is a fairly easy task if you have a ladder. Just climb onto the roof and use a trowel to clean out all the dirt. You can also buy hose adaptors and specific tools to clean the gutters without the need for a ladder.
Downspouts also need to be in good working order. They should take the water from the roof to away from the base of the house. If water falls directly to the floor from the roof, it can wash away the dirt and start to pool. It can then soak into the wall potentially causing significant damage. Gutter replacement parts are available fairly cheaply at the big box stores and quite easy to install.
There are many types of caulking. 100% silicone is completely waterproof and ideal for wet areas. However acrylic based caulks are better for trim and other areas that will be painted. It is important to make sure all wet areas are caulked correctly. By the same token you should also seal trim work correctly. This makes the trim look much nicer it also helps prevent bugs form getting in. Additionally and cracks in the walls can allow cool air to escape. This makes the air conditioning work harder increasing you electric bill.
It is recommended that you replace the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries every 6 months. You should test your smoke alarm batteries monthly. Testing is easy, just press the button on the alarm and make sure it makes a really loud noise. However modern smoke and carbon monoxide alarms such as the NEST keep you updated through a phone app. Therefore if you install NEST Protect you don’t need to do all the testing and change the batteries every 6 months. The NEST App will let you know if and when you need to do anything.
Outlets serving countertops, bathrooms and some other areas should be GFCI (Ground fault circuit interrupt). Additional protection from electric shock is provided by these outlets. As such it is important that they work correctly. You can test the outlet be pressing the test button. Over time (approximately 10 years) the outlets can become faulty. Outlets over 10 years old you should be tested with a GFCI tester. Fortunately you can buy a one for under $10.
Any metal on metal movement requires lubrication. All the hinges in your home need to be lubricated periodically. If you find it difficult to get your key into the lock or it’s stiff to turn, then a quick spray with WD40 or dry lube will resolve the issue. Light oils are great for fixing squeaky hinges. Lubricate more complex mechanisms such as drawer slides with grease.
Changing lightbulbs is one of the easiest home maintenance tasks on the list. It is also probably the most common repair. Nearly all traditional light bulbs are screw fit. Before removing the bulb make sure the light switch is off and the bulb is cool. Remove the old light bulb by screwing counter clockwise. Ensure the new light bulb is lined up correctly prior to screwing it in clockwise. There is no need to over tighten as you may break the bulb. Then turn on the light switch to make sure it works.
Hopefully these 10 essential home maintenance job have provided some useful information to you. If you have any questions please let me know in the comments and let me know about other common home maintenance job that you encountered regularly.
Sarasota residents can contact me if they need any assistance maintaining their home 813-624-2586.
You may also enjoy 6 Steps to make a round table top.
Awarded Best of Florida
Local Veteran Owned and Operated
12 Month Labor Warranty
Nest Pro Installer
workers compensation exemption
$1,000,000 General Liability Insurance
Awarded Best of Florida
Nest Pro Installer
Local Veteran Owned and Operated
workers compensation exemption
12 Month Labor Warranty
$1,000,000 General Liability Insurance
