Inside the Home Maintenance Checklist

Fireplace and/or wood stove

•  Make sure you keep your chimney and fireplace and/or wood stove clean and free of creosote annually and throughout the winter months.
• Clean out the stove and fireplace when ashes accumulate more than two inches in thickness. It is a good idea to leave at least two inches of ashes. It is easier to start a warm and cozy fire if you have a little bed of ashes in the fireplace and/or wood burning stove.
• Make certain to check the chimney for missing or loose bricks. If you are unable to clean your chimney by yourself, you might want to call an expert chimney sweep to clean it and to inspect it. Fire Chiefs in some towns will do inspections as well.
• Make sure the damper opens and shuts easily and safely too.
• In the springtime, you can leave the damper open. That will help improve ventilation if your house does not have air conditioning.

Checking filters

• Do not forget to replace and/or clean filters at least once per month, or as necessary. (more…)

Refrigerator

Make certain the door seals on your fridge are sealed adequately, airtight.
Test each door, using a dollar bill. You shut the door over the dollar bill, and if you are able to pull the bill out effortlessly, the door’s latch might need to be modified or you might need to put a new seal about the door.
Some homes have coil-back refrigerators. If you have one of those styles, you will want to vacuum the coils two times per year or as necessary.
Your appliance will operate more effectively if you keep the coils clean.
Additionally, make sure to stock up. If you keep your fridge full, and the freezer, it will function better and you will cut down on energy usage and costs as well. Empty refrigerators and freezers, or ones not full enough, run more often.

Doors and windows

Make certain to seal off any drafts in your home’s windows and doors, making them airtight.
You want to make sure there are no little cracks in which heat will escape from your home during the cold months of the year.
Replace every seal as necessary in doors and windows.
In some locations, households use special plastic to cover the insides of their windows, which keeps the heat in and the cold out. This particular plastic is see-through, so you are still able to look outside and receive sunlight when the sun shines into your home, and it is simple to install onto windows.

Faucets within the Home

It is a good idea to look for leaks in your faucets, in the bathroom and in the kitchen. If you need to replace washers or put in new faucets, it is important to do so, especially if you pay for water usage. Additionally, if your faucets leak, your pump will run often, which could add to your utility costs too.

Home Safety Equipment

•  Make certain that every one of your fire extinguishers, smoke alarms/detectors, carbon monoxide detectors function properly. If any of them need to be cleaned or they need new batteries, make sure you take care of those items.
• It is a good idea to test fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors at least twice per year and change batteries in them two times a year as well.
• In addition, make sure to test all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
•  Additionally, look at the dates on your fire extinguishers and if they need servicing, take them to your local agency for servicing. After so many years, a fire extinguisher needs to be serviced.

Air Conditioners

During the fall season, when the weather is colder in your area, make sure you take all air conditioners out of the windows or put covers over each one of them if that is how yours are set up. As part of the home maintenance checklist, making sure to seal off drafts will help you cut down on energy costs.