As spring blossoms around us, there are many home maintenance steps you can take to prepare your home for the warmer seasons. Last month we covered several of these steps, which included checking your roof and ensuring gutters and downspouts are clear. Below are some additional tips for important maintenance tasks inside your home.
- Air conditioner. Is your air conditioning system working properly? You may need to change the filter. Be sure to get it checked by a service technician to ensure proper functioning.
- Water heater. Check your water heater. Does it have any leaks? Do you see any corrosion? Do you get a good temperature for showers, bathing and regular household use?
- Furnace filter. Check the furnace filter in your home. You may need to replace the filter before the summer cooling season.
- Washer and dryer. Be sure to clean out the exhaust duct and spaces around and under your dryer to removing lint and material that can be a fire hazard.
- Electrical outlets. Check for frayed wires and loose plugs in all electrical outlets. Get an electrician to repair any outlet damage. Also check that your extension cords, fuse boxes and outlets are not overloaded.
- Fire extinguisher. Is your fire extinguisher working? Make sure it is filled, operable and accessible.
- Smoke detectors. Are your smoke detectors working? Do you have enough smoke detectors? There should be at least one detector on every floor. Inspect all the smoke detectors you have for proper functioning, and change batteries if needed.
- Light bulbs. Are your light bulbs working? Are you using bulbs with the right wattage? Replace your existing incandescent bulbs with more efficient CFL bulbs.
Double-Check Those Gutters & Downspouts
Outside your home, if you haven’t taken care of the tasks previously outlined in Part 1 of our series, don’t forget to do so. If you have a lot of trees in your yard, it’s a good idea to check your gutters again since spring can result in a lot of debris. Clear gutters enable rainwater to flow smoothly from the roof of your home to the ground, without damaging the walls, roof or foundation of the home. If your gutters are not regularly cleaned or they get clogged up with debris, leaves, twigs and other matter, water will not flow properly through them. When cleaning gutters, also check the downspouts to be sure they are not clogged.
Gutter Helmet® offers gutter protection that keeps leaves, twigs and even pollen out of your gutters. Keep your home safe with an effective gutter protection system. Call Gutter Helmet at (800) 824-3772 to learn more and schedule an in-home consultation, free of charge, with your local Gutter Helmet dealer!