Having a properly maintained home is quite the achievement. Also, having functioning appliances means your home runs uninterrupted. However, it can become a nightmare if you don’t have a predictable maintenance routine for your home system and appliances. A home appliance maintenance checklist is an excellent property tool. It may be challenging to follow it strictly, but it helps you remember what you must do daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. It helps to plan for maintenance to avoid unpleasant surprises. Here are easy-to-follow guidelines on the ultimate home system and appliance maintenance checklist.
1. Appliances: Fridge, Freezer, Dryer Servicing
These appliance units can last almost two decades with proper maintenance. Since their repairs are costly, you’ll save money by cleaning condensers, balancing temperature, and wiping shelves. There are ways to ensure your appliances are in good condition instead of keeping them in the appliance store.
To keep your freezer in good condition, clean the condenser coil. This hack will prolong your fridge’s life without calling a technician. Locate the coils at the back of your appliance or underneath, and blow the dust using a powerful vacuum hose to remove dust. Also, brush caked dust and pet hair, which can result in your fridge overheating. If you encounter frosted coils, get a skilled repair team to inspect the entire unit.
Don’t overstuff your fridge. Keeping many items there can make your fridge overwork and consume more energy. Keep hot food out of the fridge to avoid overworking it. Instead, wait for the food to cool before storing it in the fridge.
Constantly check the door gasket, a rubber door seal that lines up the fridge. You can use paper to check whether the sealing is working properly. If the paper can be pulled swiftly, change the gasket with a new one, and if the gasket is dirty, wash it with a mixture of water and soap.
Lack of dryer maintenance knowledge is the main cause of fire outbreaks. One of the methods you can apply to service the dryer is wiping it every month and emptying the lint filter daily. Also, inspect the vents’ system regularly.
Always clean the outside and inside the dryer using a method known as lint screen cleaning. Regular cleaning and maintenance and learning how to conduct dryer repair will keep fire outbreaks at bay and save you money.
2. HVAC Servicing
To save money, monitor your home’s heating and cooling system. Air conditioning maintenance is critical in controlling energy consumption in your home. If left unrepaired for too long, your HVAC will malfunction or exert too much demand on your energy bill.
Having routine, preventive maintenance with a skilled technician keeps your HVAC system in tip-top condition. When inspecting it, the AC services company will inspect and troubleshoot the HVAC system to address any malfunction or breakdown. Worn-out filters tend to use more energy; replacing them with new ones is the best way to keep the air flowing and the energy bills down. The Merv rating of your filter should be between 7 and 13, indicating it’s an excellent band for maximum airflow and for removing dust and other pollutants.
Regular inspection of the HVAC system, especially checking the thermostat monthly, is important. When replacing the filter, check for major problems. Periodically clean the outside unit. Sometimes, wiping it is enough. The unit surfaces collect a lot of debris, which could cause the system to malfunction. Ensure the nearby plants are trimmed to maintain maximum airflow.
3. Plumbing Services
Another appliance maintenance checklist to consider is plumbing. No one likes residing in a smelly house with burst pipes or blocked drainage. Plumbing also entails boiler maintenance service to ensure the boiler system is running efficiently. Most people only seek the services of a plumbing company when there’s a plumbing emergency, such as a burst sewer or blocked drains. However, the best time to deal with an emergency is before it happens, and regular maintenance is the surest way to do this.
If you have issues in your home, the people to contact are residential plumbing services. A residential plumber will likely encounter blockage, clogged drains, poor water supply, gas plumbing, and outdoor and indoor plumbing issues. Commercial plumbing services deal with removing debris like algae, fungus, and tree branches that dangerously overhang your home. To eliminate these obstructions, plumbers now use advanced technology like hydro-jetting machines that are much more efficient than traditional tools.
Other plumbing services to clear drainage systems include tools such as rooters. These are special cameras hoisted at the tip of a rod to give the plumbers a good view inside enclosed pipes. Seek professional plumbing services to assist you in case of a plumbing problem. This is a critical home maintenance system in your maintenance checklist.
4. Electrical Services
Electrical work should be handled by a qualified technician. Inspecting your home’s wiring system and other electrical appliances is a critical issue that must find its way into your appliance maintenance checklist. Always seek the services of a qualified and licensed electrician for your electrical work, or a licensed electrical service company with credible experience and a list of satisfied clients.
A ceiling fan is an electrical appliance that requires regular maintenance. It helps circulate the air in your home by constantly rotating at a preset speed. Contact an appliance repair company if the lights keep flickering or the fan blades are moving too sluggishly.
If you have an electrical problem, hire an electrician to inspect it quickly before it escalates. Alternatively, electrical panel upgrades can meet your home’s energy consumption demands when certain issues occur. Another area that requires regular inspection is the outdoors. Have the electrician regularly inspect the pool and outdoor lighting. A well-lit pool and outdoor area come with their fair share of challenges. You’ll need a qualified and licensed electrician to address electrical faults or inspect the outdoor electrical system.
5. Generator Services
Generator services fall under the appliance maintenance checklist category. This is because engine-powered machines require routine maintenance. While you need a professional to service your generator, there are minor maintenance tasks you can carry out on your own. During maintenance, the generator service inspects the generator’s exterior to confirm it’s in good physical condition. Replacing the filters is also crucial to prevent dust from entering the generator and causing damage.
A technician also checks the spark plugs to establish if they need replacing. With time, spark plugs wear out and eventually fail to produce the spark needed to power the generator. Other generator services include replacing the old oil and filter. Always schedule generator maintenance to keep it running. You never know when you’ll need it, perhaps in the dead of the night in the middle of winter.
6. Garage Door Services
You and your family rely on the garage door to store belongings. Regular garage maintenance keeps your door working smoothly for longer. Have a slot for garage door inspection and maintenance in your appliance maintenance checklist. With time, the door is bound to wear out, especially since the garage is exposed to the elements. Also, the garage door is a heavily used component in your home, exerting undue pressure on it.
Constantly lubricate the hinges to prevent door damage due to rust. It’s a quick and easy task you can do to prevent friction and tear. Get a garage door lubricant and smear it on springs, hinges, the roller, and tracks.
Have the cables regularly inspected. High-tension cables help in the efficient opening and closing of the garage door. Avoid repairing these cables yourself unless you know what you’re doing. Cables are dangerous as they can snap anytime, so this is a task for garage door maintenance professionals, not a DIY thing.
7. Fire Service
In case of a fire outbreak, the latter can spread quickly throughout your home. Ensuring your home fire system is functioning can be the difference between a doused fire and one that spreads. Therefore, maintaining fire protection equipment in your home is a crucial part of the appliance maintenance checklist.
Install fire alarms and test them monthly. Ensure everyone knows how to operate them and where the escape routes are if a fire breaks out in your home. Conduct regular fire drills every four months to ensure everyone in your home knows what to do in a fire emergency.
8. Security System
The security system in your home is critical to your life and that of members of your household. Home should be defined by comfort and safety, and none of these are possible if you’re in constant fear of invasion by intruders. Luckily, integrated security systems use electronic devices to alert you in case of an attempt to gain entry into your home. The system comprises surveillance cameras, sensors, and control panels.
The invisible (or visible) security cameras record footage of everyone entering your compound without invitation, triggering an alarm to indicate a security breach. Sensors are strategically placed around windows, glass, doors, and other areas where intruders can access your home. The sensors send signals to the integrated security system to set off the alarm when an intruder attempts to gain entry into your home.
The control panel is the device that integrates signals from installed components and sets off the alarm. It’s characterized by an easily programmed touchpad in which you enter a pin to arm or disarm the security system. It’s important to have your security system regularly checked to ensure it’s functioning at all times, and a qualified security systems company is ideally placed to maintain it.
9. Roofing Services
A roof is perhaps the most important component in your home as it keeps the elements out and your family safely inside, even during winter and stormy days. Ensuring it’s in perfect condition is so crucial that you should include roof maintenance and repair in your appliance maintenance checklist. If you don’t regularly have your roof inspected and repaired, you may soon have to contact roof replacement services. In this case, you’ll need to hire a reputable roofing company as there are many “storm chasers” in your neighborhood, those guys who appear at your door after a storm only to disappear shortly after, until the next storm.
10. Landscaping Services
A home maintenance checklist is incomplete without a schedule for landscaping services. When properly done, landscaping enhances your home’s curb appeal, raising its market value. To keep your lawn or yard in great shape, you need a tree removal company to prune trees with branches hanging dangerously over your home or cut or uproot rotting ones. Mowing, pruning shrubs, hardscaping, and maintaining water features on your lawn is another service you should leave to professional landscaping companies.
11. Deep Cleaning Services
Deep cleaning involves the removal of dust, dirt, and hair from your home. Conduct regular deep cleaning to eliminate bacteria or grime that might be missed during regular cleaning. In your appliance maintenance checklist, enter deep cleaning services twice a year or more often for homes with extra clutter. Deep cleaning assists in preventing dust and bacteria from accumulating. It also gets rid of bad smells.
Deep cleaning involves more than removing soap scum, grime, and other types of gunk found in most homes. It’s more thorough than the standard cleaning. Here, you’re not just wiping down surfaces or picking up clutter and litter. Cleaning involves disinfecting and sanitizing surfaces to rid your home of bacteria and germs that could make you and your family sick.
The objective of deep cleaning your home is to get rid of dirt, dust, and grime while maintaining a sanitized, healthy environment. When deep cleaning, ensure you access hard-to-reach areas, such as nooks and crannies, to ferret germs and bacteria, leaving your home smelling fresh and sparkling clean. While it takes longer than standard cleaning, deep cleaning your entire home is possible with the services of a cleaning company.
Home system and appliance maintenance go beyond cleaning kitchen appliances, dusting walls, mopping the floor, or cleaning the carpet. It involves inspection and maintenance of the HVAC system, the plumbing system, landscaping, roofing, and surveillance system, among other areas. Keeping an appliance maintenance checklist is critical for a properly functioning home. Among items in your home that must be constantly inspected and serviced include the fridge, freezers, and other electronics and electrical appliances. A qualified technician on speed dial helps attend to appliance issues as soon as possible to restore full function.