When owning a home, there are many things that homeowners need to remember. If you don’t have a list of tasks it can be easy to forget what you need to do. A lot of things can lead to more significant problems if you forget something, so making a list of every maintenance item you need to do can save you troubles down the road.
We have compiled a list of 5 commonly overlooked home maintenance tasks that are very important to add to your list of tasks. These are items that most homeowners simply forget because they will not show their issues until later. Look through this list and see which ones apply to your home.
5 Commonly Overlooked Home Maintenance Tips
Cleaning Dryer Vents
A very common issue that dryers and dryer vents have is they can become plugged up and cause major issues. One issue is they can become more inefficient as time goes on. Another, more severe issue, is they can catch on fire from being plugged. Debris is not the only cause of these issues either. Having nesting pests or a stuck exhaust fan flapper can cause the same issues.
Dryers that are located at a central location in the home often have more issues with clogging because the lines are so long. A few times a year it is smart to take the vent off the back and use either a wet/dry vac or a cleaning kit to clean out the ducts. An upgrade to smooth metal ducts will also help limit how much debris gets stuck.
Checking Garage Door Components
There are two major items that many homeowners forget to check when it comes to their garage door. One is checking the door balance and the other is lubing the door springs. If your garage door is balanced correctly it greatly reduces the risk of injury to someone and keeps the door opener from working too hard. It is fairly simple to check the balance. You’ll want to have to door closed and disengage the door opener. Once that is disengaged you simply have to manually lift the door open. A properly balanced door will stay open while one with too much tension or too little tension will raise or lower. It is smart to check the door balance a few times a year.
The springs within the doors are known to eventually break due to corrosion or metal fatigue. Lubing them at least once a year can help the springs maintain their integrity for longer than if you hadn’t done anything to them. All you need to do is lube the torsion springs, hinges, and tracks above the garage door to protect them.
Cleaning Refrigerator Coils
Everyone owns a refrigerator but most people don’t know that there are maintenance items to do on a refrigerator to keep it running smoothly. There are coils located either at the back of the fridge or across the bottom. When these get clogged with debris the coils cannot efficiently release heat which causes the compressor to work harder and longer than it was made to. This will eventually cause your refrigerator to reach the end of its life much sooner. All it takes to clean the coils is a coil cleaning brush. Once you notice dust, hair, and other debris clogging the coil just use the brush to clean it out.
Flushing Your Water Heater
Another component that many homeowners forget about is the water heater. Minerals will accumulate at the bottom of the water heater and if left alone can cause issues for the water heater. If you start to hear banging, popping, or rumbling noises as water bubbles up, that is an indication of mineral buildup. A thick layer of sediment can eventually cause the tank to rust out at the bottom and not work efficiently. Flushing your water heater once a year will get rid of these minerals and help your water heater run more efficiently.
Inspecting Your Roof
It might not seem like it but as a homeowner, you are able to inspect your roof to make sure nothing is wrong with it. It’s important to do this at least once a year so you can find potential issues much sooner. Most homeowners who remember to inspect their roofs will look around when they are cleaning out their gutters. You are mainly looking for cracked, broken, or missing shingles or any black grit in the gutters that could signal an issue with the shingles. Any moss or algae growing on the shingles are also a bad sign. Once you have found any of these potential issues it is important to contact a roofing company to come out and take a look.
Remembering to take the time to check the items on this list can help save you money and headaches in the future. As a homeowner you want your home running as efficiently as possible so you are not spending money on unnecessary things. If you think there are more things you could be missing walk around your home and look at all the components to see if there are any you haven’t thought of.
Stay tuned in to our blog for other home maintenance tips and all of the home care needs you need to know!