Home ownership comes with much responsibility and many, many things that need to be maintained in order to keep your house happy and running efficiently.
To keep all of this from being overwhelming, I add events to my calendar on my favorite device and put them on repeat. I spread them out over time too.
For the specific maintenance information, refer to the specific Owner’s Manual for the product you have questions about. If you do not have the Owner’s Manual, they can be found in PDF form on the website of the manufacturer. Look for the Make and Model found on a sticker somewhere on or inside the product.
***This is purely informational and not intended to be accurate for every product. Consult the appropriate Owner’s Manual and the necessary Professionals for services and cleanings.
I highly recommend reading the Owner’s Manuals for all products in your home that have one. You’ll probably be surprised how much there is you need to know and it can make life a lot easier and avoid unnecessary service calls. This is not intended to be an all inclusive list. All homes are beautifully unique.
Kitchen:
Refrigerator: Change your water filter, usually every 6 months. Some have a “Fresh Air” filter to be changed that is located inside the fridge. Dust should be vacuumed out of the back and under the front of the refrigerator. This helps reduce energy use and prolongs the life of the compressor, etc.
Dishwasher: Use of a dishwasher cleaner is recommended on a regular basis. How often depends on multiple variables. Also, in the bottom of newer dishwashers there is a screen that needs to be cleaned often. If this screen is not cleaned, you’ll get an error code and possibly pay for an unnecessary service call.
Microwaves: Keep the inside wiped out regularly. Don’t use metal dishes inside. Remove and use some hot water and dish soap to clean circulating vent screens underneath the microwave.
Disposal: Disposal cleaner tablets that you drop in and grind with some water can help keep the disposal clean and keep the odors away. These can be purchased at the grocery/big box stores.
Water Faucets throughout your home have screens on them where the water comes out that need cleaned regularly. If you have hard water and no water softener, you’ll be cleaning these more often. Some can be unscrewed and removed by hand. Other types require a specific tool that usually comes with the tap to remove them.
Utility Room:
Furnace/AC: How often should you change your filter? The answer is – it depends. The time frame depends on the type of filter your system uses and more importantly, how you use your home. It could be every month, 2 months or every 6 months, etc. If you have dogs or cats in the home you will need to change your filter more frequently. Pet hair gets to the filter rather quickly and clogs it up. At first, monitor your filter once a month to figure out when it needs changed and then set up a schedule accordingly.
Keeping the filters changed helps your system run efficiently, the home will be more comfortable, reduce utility bills, and helps keep the inside of your furnace clean. The dirtier your filter gets, the longer your system will run trying to keep the temperature where you have it set.
Yearly, usually in the fall, have a professional vacuum and clean out the furnace and do other necessary items your professional will know about. If you have central air conditioning, the condenser unit outside your home needs to be washed and checked at least once a year. If you have pesky cottonwood trees that lose their cotton near your home, that cotton loves to block the venting on the AC condensers, so be extra careful if this applies to where you live. I clean mine in the Spring and mid Summer. Another job for the professional while they check your furnace inside. Getting those annual tune ups is worth it.
Hot Water Heater: Tankless HW heaters maintenance – Flushing the heat exchanger with a calcium, lime, and rust remover, at least yearly.
To keep the warranty valid by some manufacturers, the use of a water softener in the home is required.
The old school tank water heaters require much less. Keep the dust cleaned/vacuumed off of all inlet vents and the entire tank. That’s about it, but read that Owner’s Manual. There are a lot of differences amongst tank units, especially newer models.
Water Softener: Using a water softener cleaner about every 4 months and keeping receipts for proof can actually extend the warranty of some water softeners. Consult that Owner’s Manual to see if this applies to your unit.
Humidifiers: Steam units have a replaceable canister that usually needs changed yearly. Evaporative humidifiers have a filter that needs changed about every 6 months.
Miscellaneous:
Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide detectors: Change batteries yearly. I usually do this in October. We all know, they always seem to die at 3 am in the morning!!
Thermostat: Some thermostats have batteries that need changing.
Toilets: Check the water level in the tank yearly. Float valves can end up out of adjustment and you could be running water down the drain via the overflow in the tank. The float valve might need adjusted or replaced, or a flapper replaced, if you hear your toilet making that running water sound when it should be quiet.
Garage Doors: Checked, Lubricated and Tuned up yearly. Springs can lose tension which can work garage door openers harder and lead to premature failure of the opener. Nobody likes a squeaky door either. Exterior keypad remotes need a new battery, yearly, but it depends on use. Don’t forget a new battery in your remote transmitters that you keep in your vehicle(s).
Clothes Washers/Dryers: Read your owner’s manuals, but these need maintenance more often than most people think. Very highly used and abused by all of us, but receive very little needed maintenance.
Floor Drains/Unused Drains: If you have floor drains that rarely get water down them, add water to them to keep the water in the drain from evaporating out and allowing sewer gases to enter the home.
Below: Dash in an airplane I fly……Flyin’ Realtor® !!
