If you are a homeowner, then you probably understand that there is plenty of home maintenance for you to attend to all year long. There are certain items that need to be taken care of as the seasons change—especially as you move into summer or start toward winter. In fact, taking care of some of your winterization needs in the late summer can help you prepare some of your home appliances for fall and winter. 3 simple projects that can help you out include checking and replacing filters, draining your hot water heater, and inspecting the hose to your dryer.
If you have an appliance with a filter, that filter needs to be changed regularly. This is especially true for items like an air-conditioning unit or any other vents in your house that have filters in them. These filters ought to be changed as the seasons change. When you prepare to turn the cool air on, then you need to change your filters. When you prepare to turn the cool air off for the season, you need to change your filters. A simple inspection should tell you all that you need to know. These filters get dirty over any season, and dirty filters will not filter the air as well as it should. You should also consider getting your air system cleaned by a professional one or two times a year, as that is an important part of home maintenance.
Draining your hot water heater is a great way that you can not only take care of the heater for the fall and winter, but it actually helps to keep the heater in good shape and last longer. Over time, sediment collects inside the heater. As the sediment builds up, the heater can become less efficient. Take the time at the end of summer to drain the heater and get out that sediment. If your water heater happens to be tankless, you might not need to worry about this part of your home maintenance.
Whenever it is that you purchased your dryer, you probably wanted it to last as long as possible. Some people think that dryers can take care of themselves, but there are home maintenance steps you can take to keep your dryer in good shape. While preparing for the fall season, check your dryer’s laundry hose for lint buildup. You’ll want to detach the hose from the dryer and vacuum out the lint. Lint buildup can becomes a serious fire hazard if left unattended. When you are finished, reattach the hose and you are ready to dry your clothes for the fall and winter!
There are a lot of different home maintenance projects that demand your time throughout the year. Although these are not the only 3 things that you can do to prepare your home for fall, changing your filters, draining your hot water heater, and inspecting your dryer hose are great ways to help take care of your home appliances. Naturally, you will want to add other chores to your list, such as putting outdoor hoses away and inspecting your gutters. Just don’t forget that your actual appliances inside the home need just as much love and care as the exterior. Put these 3 things on your fall to-do list, and hopefully your appliances will be sitting pretty for yet another season.