Tag: Homeowner Tips

Most people who own a home take time to make it beautiful and safe for their families to live in. We routinely vacuum, replace light bulbs, sanitize, maintain appliances, change air filters and more, but we often forget about our smoke detectors. We hope that we will never have to be awoken to the loud alarm of our smoke detectors and we rely on them to protect our families, but we often forget they are there, let alone do routine maintenance checks. According to the National Fire Protection Association, we should be testing our alarms monthly by pressing the test button. Home many of us remember to check our fire alarms yearly, let alone monthly? But the fact is, when a fire occurs in our home it can spread quickly and without our knowledge if our smoke detectors are not properly functioning. Smoke detectors can give us the early warning that will not only help protect our home from total loss, but more importantly, save our lives. If you do not currently have a smoke detector in your home, all hardware stores sell them and they can make recommendations as to how many you need. They are an inexpensive way to protect your home and family, and are also easy to install. Many experts recommend installing smoke detectors in every sleeping area and on every floor of the home. Once you have installed smoke alarms, routine maintenance is critical but it is also relatively easy. According to Realtor.com, “About 90 percent of U.S. households have smoke alarms installed. However, a CPSC survey found that the smoke alarms in 20 percent of those households-about 16 million-were not working, mostly because the battery was dead or missing.” CPSC Chairman Ann Brown also notes that, “Smoke alarms can save lives, but they won’t work if they are not maintained. They should be tested monthly, and the batteries should be replaced at least once a year or when they make the ‘chirping’ sound.” It is astonishing that approximately 16 million smoke detectors were not working! Especially during this time of year when we need to practice fire safety with our holiday decorations and lighting as well as our home heating, those smoke detectors could mean the difference between life and death! Additionally, the age of your smoke detectors could be problematic. The National Fire Protection Association recommends replacing smoke alarms every 10 years or sooner if they do not respond to testing and battery replacement. An interesting fact that some may not know is that there are also smoke alarms available for those hard of hearing or deaf; the alarms use strobe lights and vibration. Along with smoke alarm maintenance it is also very important that every family has a fire escape plan that they have practiced and know well. By taking these steps to maintain your smoke detector you will have the peace of mind that you have protected your family as best as possible from the dangers of fire.]]>

We are all trying to save money right now. Owning a home can be expensive. Having a home warranty is a great way to help should unforeseen home problems arise. Having a home warranty will help to prevent you from spending an arm and a leg if something breaks down. Another great way you can save money year round is with a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat will help you save money because it is energy efficient and it will also be one way to make your home more “green.” When you are sleeping or away from your home during the day your heating and cooling needs will be different than when you are spending time awake inside of your home. According to Houselogic.com, “It’s no secret that heating and cooling account for the bulk of a home’s energy usage – an average of over $1,000 annually. Switching from a manual to a programmable thermostat is one simple way to save as much as $180 a year.” That is a huge savings! The temperature control settings make a programmable thermostat easy to use and efficient. You can time the settings around your schedule so that, in the winter, you can set the thermostat to keep the temperature a little cooler during the day while you are gone, and set it to warm up your home for your arrival. Also, while you are asleep at night you can wear warm clothes and use heavy blankets so you will not need to heat your home as much at night. There are even programmable thermostats that will help you to know what the most energy efficient settings are and learn your habits and adjust itself accordingly! There are programmable thermostats available that even can have different settings for during the week or weekend. Additionally, for those that frequently travel, a great option may be a programmable thermostat that can be managed remotely through a web portal! It does not get more convenient or efficient than that! Lastly, in extreme weather months you can program your thermostat so that your home heats or cools 30 minutes before you intent to wake up or arrive home. You will get all the benefits of energy savings that programmable thermostats offer while still maintaining your comfort all year long. With programmable thermostats no sacrifice in comfort is made and yet energy savings, and thus money savings, are still achieved. Programmable thermostats are relatively inexpensive and fairly easy to install. Now is the time to make the switch to a programmable thermostat and start helping the environment and saving big money today!]]>

There are many every day appliances we rely on to work when we need them, but, often we may forget to properly maintain them. When we make the wise decision to protect ourselves with a home warranty, we often forget to do general maintenance and upkeep on appliances. We can make the most of our investments in both appliances and our home warranties by doing checks and maintenance on our appliances. Microwaves are an invention that has given Americans convenience and timeliness in our increasingly busy society. We often rely on them to quickly heat a meal so that we can make it to work or school on time, get our families fed, and get everything done in our day that we need to. Aside from cleaning out and spilled food or residue, we often do not do any additional maintenance to keep our microwaves functioning properly. While many of us wipe down our microwaves on a regular basis to get those stray pieces of food out, we may not check our grease filter. We should routinely clean out the grease filter on our microwave. As with any general maintenance, you should consult the owners’ manual and follow any manufacturer recommendations. If any food debris has accumulated and is difficult to clean, you can put a glass with a cup of water in it and heat it for approximately 3 minutes. Allow the cup to sit in the microwave for a few minutes. By doing this, you steam the inside of the microwave and loosen all of the difficult stuck on food debris. This will make it much easier to wipe down the inside of your microwave. Once you have ensured that you are working with a properly cleaned microwave, you need to take care to ensure that you are putting the correct things in your microwave. To begin, you should only put microwave safe dishes and containers in your microwave. They should be properly labeled as such to ensure you are not doing damage to your microwave and to also ensure your container will not melt or catch fire. Also, takeout food containers are not typically safe for the microwave. You should also be careful not to use dishes that are too large. By overloading your microwave, you can reduce air circulation in the device, which will cause overstress on your microwave. As with any home maintenance, you should always take precautions to avoid dangerous, electrical situations and to always consult your manufactures guide. It is crucial to follow the manufacturer instructions to a tee. Through the advancement of technology we have been given many of our modern conveniences. We rely heavily on these conveniences, such as microwave, to keep our families functioning on a day to day basis, and in a timely manner. It could greatly slow us down to wake up one day and find that our microwave is not working. By following these simple tips, we can extend the life of our microwave and enjoy the convenience it has to offer.]]>

We all rely heavily on our refrigerator to keep our food cold and give us the ability to feed our families. We depend on our refrigerators to be there for us every day and for them to work properly. Many of us forget that even our refrigerator needs some standard preventative maintenance. For those of us that also make the wise investment in a home warranty that helps protect our appliances, it is crucial that we protect our investment and properly maintain our appliances. While it is easier for many of us to have a mentality that “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” but some standard maintenance could extend the life of our appliances and keep them running properly. Maintaining our refrigerators will only pay off in the long run. With refrigerator maintenance, one good place to start is safety precautions around the outside of our refrigerator. You should not place any plastic bags or paper on the top of the refrigerator. These items could fall behind your refrigerator and block proper air flow to the condenser coils. Additionally, with regard to the condenser coils, you can dust them off annually. To clean the coils you can buy a condenser coil brush or use the hose attachment on your vacuum. If you have pets consider cleaning your coils more frequently as pet hair can build up rather quickly. If you have dusty condenser coils it can cause your appliance to work harder, increasing energy bills and shortening the life of your refrigerator so maintaining your coils is an important place to start. The next area you will want to check is the drain hole and drip pan. The drip pan is located at the bottom of many refrigerators. It collects any condensation and excess dirt. You will want to remove any food and thoroughly wipe down the drip pan. Additionally, you will want to clean the door gaskets of your refrigerator. You can clean the gaskets with warm soapy water and dry them off. Over time, door gaskets can get dry, cracked, loose or torn. You will want to ensure that you have a snug fit all around and replace any gaskets that may have problems as this can allow warm air to get into your refrigerator and cause food to spoil. You can also rub Vaseline on the gasket once a year to keep it pliable and help prevent cracking and tearing. Lastly, you will want to replace your water filter twice a year. This will help prevent a clogged line in your refrigerator, especially in regions where water is not as clean. By cleaning your refrigerator’s water filter you will also make sure your water and ice are clean and better quality. When we spend a lot of our hard earned money on an appliance and rely on it daily, like we do with our refrigerators, following some simple yearly maintenance tips is a good protection of our investment and only takes very little of our time. By doing these annual and bi-annual checks we can greatly extend the life of our appliance and keep that extra repair money in our pockets. The last thing anyone wants is to wake up to a refrigerator full of spoiled and wasted food. That is just money down the drain. By taking these preventative steps we can have peace of mind that our appliances will be there when we need them.]]>

If you have ever had your air conditioners break down in the middle of the summer or your heater stop working on an incredibly cold day, you know how uncomfortable and inconvenient it is. While it is great to have a home warranty company you can rely on to be there when something breaks, regular maintenance and checks of your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system can save you a lot of time and money by hopefully avoiding a major breakdown. If you have ever had to replace part of your HVAC system, you know it can be very costly. Regular maintenance and checks, coupled with a quality home warranty, can give you the peace of mind that you need as a homeowner.

When considering doing some routine maintenance of your HVAC system, it is not necessary to call a repairman first. As with any home maintenance, it is important to remember to disconnect any power to your unit. There may be more than one thing to disconnect, be sure you have properly disconnected everything or consult a professional to be sure. The first and most important maintenance tip to follow when it comes to your air conditioning unit is to change your air filters regularly. By replacing your filter monthly you protect your air conditioning unit from dust build up and overwork/overexertion which can lead to a breakdown at an inopportune moment. It will also help your air conditioning unit to function more efficiently which can help save money on your energy bills. This is such a simple maintenance tip but one that many forget or overlook, which can be a costly mistake. You will also want to make sure your outdoor unit does not have any debris or clutter too close. You should make sure plants have not overgrown and encroached upon your outdoor unit or that leaves and grass have not piled up near your outdoor unit. In regard to your heating system, you can clean or replace furnace filters monthly. You can also clean your evaporator coil. The coil is located in the air handler/furnace and should be dry. You can clean the coil with the brush attachment from your vacuum.

Seasonal maintenance of your HVAC system is an important step in ensuring your systems will function properly when you need them the most. Studies have shown that without regular maintenance, an HVAC system loses about 5 percent of it’s original efficiency. We are all trying to save money on our energy bills and if our HVAC system is not functioning efficiently we could just be flushing our money down the drain. Avoid a costly and unpleasant breakdown of your HVAC system and have peace of mind that you are protecting your home and your investment.

A great way to protect your home and appliances is to invest in a home warranty. It will give you the peace of mind that, should you wake up to a major problem with one of your appliances, you have someone on your side to help you get the proper and timely repair you deserve. You will not have to worry whether or not your repairman is properly trained or reliable, you will be able to contact your home warranty company and get your repair done quickly. One appliance most of us rely on is our dishwasher, but, it can break down. Your home warranty plan can help when a breakdown occurs, but, you can also regularly maintain your dishwasher so that you can avoid a frustrating breakdown all together. Regular maintenance of your dishwasher is something that we all should do and it is relatively easy to do. First, you should just make sure there is no food or water calcification buildup on the inside of your dishwasher. You should not need to clean the inside of your dishwasher if you use it regularly but if you have not used it recently you can run a cup of white vinegar through the cycle to help clean out and deodorize the inside. You should also check the sprayer arms for any clogs, which can build up during use over time. Cleaning out those clogs will help your dishwasher run more efficiently and will help prevent overworking and overspending on your energy bills. You should also check the gaskets on the door to make sure no cracking or tearing has occurred. These gaskets are made of rubber and help maintain the water tight seal. Deterioration of these gaskets, if left unfixed, can lead to leaking water out of your dishwasher. If you notice a problem with your gaskets, you can get a replacement at your local hardware store. Additionally, you need to check your filters near the bottom of your dishwasher. These filters need to be cleaned regularly to avoid clogs. Your dishwasher owner’s manual can explain how to clean the filters and remove any food or debris. If there are any holes in your filter it needs to be replaced immediately to avoid damaging the entire dishwasher. Lastly, any rust stains you see can be removed with a rust remover. These basic maintenance tips are relatively easy and not particular time consuming but are very worthwhile. By keeping your dishwasher running efficiently, you can save a lot of money on your energy bills and protect your dishwasher as well as extend it’s life. When investing a lot of money in home appliances, we need to remember to properly maintain them in order to get the most out of our investment. If you have also made the wise choice to protect your home with a home warranty you know they will be there when they need you but they also expect you to properly maintain your appliances. It will not take you much time to maintain your dishwasher but the reward will be great.]]>

With colder temperatures quickly approaching and threatening to make our homes more chilly we cannot help but think about how to keep our house warm. Any time we enter into a season of extreme temperature it means increased energy bills. We all dread the increase of our heating bills as temperatures drop outside. One of the main culprits of letting the cold you’re your home are your door and window frames. But those are certainly not the only sources of cold air entering your home. But don’t panic, there are some great solutions to prepare your home for the coming winter months that will help keep energy bills low and, most importantly, keep you and your family warm. Depending on the age of your home there can be a lot of areas where cold air can quietly and unassumingly creep into our home without us noticing. One major area, particularly in older homes, is through and around windows. A great option for keeping your home warmer to consider is to replace single pain windows with energy efficient windows. By replacing windows with more energy efficient ones you can noticably reduce your heating bill. You can also get a window insulating kit. These insulating kits keep warm air where you want it, in your home, and they make sure the cold air stays out. According to one manufacturer of window insulating kits, 3M, “A home with 10 windows in Green Bay, WI, could have an average annual savings of $270 by using window insulator kits.” That is a huge savings for any family, especially during the holiday season! You should also go around your home to find any gaps around window frames and use caulk or wood filler to fill any of the gaps. You can also add weather stripping around any windows to help keep the cold air out. One other option many don’t consider, because it is just so simple, is to add curtains to a window. If you add curtains, particularly thermal curtains, it’s a stylish way that you can keep your home warmer (and cooler during the summer!) and will help you resist the temptation to turn the heat up. The next place to check for being a cold air culprit is around your doors. One great solution for keeping the cold air out around your doors is a door sweep. Door sweeps are actually great for any season. During the winter they keep cold air out and during the summer they keep warm air out, making them a great investment! They also block out dusts and are an energy efficient way to help create utility bill savings. Just like windows, you can also weather add weather stripping around doors to help keep the cold air out. Lastly, there are some small areas many people don’t think of as a problem for letting cold air in. Things like cracks in the foundation, leaky pipes, gaps around electrical outlets and gaps around switch boxes. These tiny little gaps can actually cause big problems with how your home efficiently heats itself. If your home is not efficiently heating itself you will drive up your heating bills. They may be small things, but they actually have big impact! Go around and inspect these areas and make sure to fill in any gaps. Many of these solutions may seem simple or obvious but if you don’t check them before each big cool down you could wind up paying a lot more in your heating bills!]]>

The first place to start when maintaining your water heater is to turn off the water heater. Safety is always of utmost importance when beginning any home maintenance. Once you have turned off the water heater you can check the water heater pressure valve. A pressure valve is a safety device on both gas and electric water heaters that releasese pressure if the water heater tank becomes over pressurized. To check the water heater pressure valve you will want to put a bucket under the pressure valve, pull the valve’s tip lever, if it is working correctly, it will release a slight rush of air or water. If the valve does not release air or water you will want to replace the valve. The next step you can take in maintaining your water heater is to drain the water. You can attach a hose and drain the tank water to help your water heater so it does not have to work as hard. When draining the water, it may be a little dirty or dark from the collection of sediment and/or rust. After draining the water you will want to remove the hose and turn on the water to flush any extra sediment from the tank. Flush the tank until the water runs clear. Once you have ensured that you have properly flushed the tank there are just a few more steps to ensuring your water heater will be well maintained. You will next want to make sure the water drain at the base of the tank is off, close the pressure release valve, and turn on the water to allow the tank to fill. Once the tank has filled, you can turn the electricity back on. Should you need to replace your water heater there are many new options on the market to consider. Choosing the right water heater for you is a big decision and you will want to consider all options. Among the water heater options available to purchase are electric, natural gas, propane, oil, solar and heat pump. There are also energy efficient and tankless water heaters. You will need to consider the size needs of your home. You don’t want to start a shower on a cold winters day and run out of warm water right after you have gotten in. Luckily, if you properly maintain your water heater each season you will hopefully avoid needing to replace your water heater any time soon. These simple maintenance steps will give you peace of mind and save you money down the road.]]>

Winter is a beautiful season filled with a lot of fun holidays and activities. Winter also brings cold temperatures. Now is the time, before winter really hits hard, to have your furnace maintained and ready to go. By seasonally maintaining your furnace you can ensure it will be properly functioning when you need it most, when it’s cold. There are some simple steps everyone can take to make sure your furnace is ready for the winter months. Before beginning any furnace maintenance, you should always shut off the gas or electric to your furnace. The first place you will want to start is to clean or replace filters. During the winter months you may want to clean or replace filters each month to ensure proper function. If there are any clogs, heat will not be as well distributed and it will work harder, costing you more money. You can also use a vacuum with a hose attachment to vacuum the inside of the furnace to remove any debris. The next maintenance step you will want to take is to check the furnace blower belt and motor and replace any frayed, loose or damaged belts. Frayed, loose or damaged belts can spell big problems down the road. You will also want to add a few drops of oil in the blower motor. By doing this, you will keep your blower motor running more smooth and more efficient. If you have a furnace that has a sealed motor then no lubrication is needed. When preparing your furnace to function properly during the winter months you will also need to do a few things within your home. You will want to make sure that all vents in your home are unobstructed. If a vent is obstructed your furnace will need to work much harder if blocked. If your furnace is working harder it can cost you a lot more and can also be a fire hazard depending on what is blocking the vent. In the same vein, you will want to remove or more anything flammable near vents, furnace or water heaters. The winter months can be a beautiful time where family bonds in their home, you do not want to have to worry about potential fire hazards during this time. Once you have completed all these steps, you will want to replace the furnace cover and turn the power back on. The winter months are a fun and very cold time. Ensuring that your furnace will function properly when you need it most is a big priority. By doing some simple, seasonal maintenance, you can save yourself a lot of money and enjoy being warm and cozy in your home all winter.]]>

There are many reasons to make your home more green. Whether you are interested in going green to help the planet, whether you want to make our nation more energy independent, or whether your motivation is to save money, the bottom line is that going green is beneficial. Many people think about choosing energy efficient appliances for their kitchen or washer and dryers but one area of the home that is often overlooked is the bathroom. By going green in your bathroom, you can help the planet, and put a little extra money in your pocket. In this economy, we are all interested in saving money wherever we can. There are a lot of practical ways to “green” your bathroom. The first, and possibly most significant, way you can go green in the bathroom is to reduce your water consumption. One practical way to reduce water consumption that costs you no money is to simply take shorter showers. Showers are the more efficient choice in terms of water consumption over baths, but showers can still use a lot of water. By reducing your time in the shower by just a few minutes, you can save a lot of money in the long run. Another way to reduce water consumption is to put an aerator on your faucets. An aerator will reduce the amount of water you use in a given period of time and help save overall. Additionally, you can install a low flow shower head. By installing a low flow shower head you can cut your water consumption in half! This will result in huge savings each month! Another simple solution that many people overlook is the turn the faucet off when you are brushing your teeth. By letting the water run while your brush your teeth you are literally letting money go straight down the drain. A shocking statistic is that about 30% of home water use is actually in flushing the toilet. You can install a water saving toilet or a dual flush toilet and drastically reduce the amount of water you use each time you use the toilet. You will also want to ensure you fix any leaks. Those small drips may seem like no big deal, but overtime, they can add up to a lot of water and thus, a lot of money for you. These are all very practical and low cost options to help reduce water consumption and save you a lot of money. There are a few more practical ways to go green in the bathroom. You can use compact fluorescent or energy efficient light bulbs. By simply changing the light bulbs, a very low cost option, you can use significantly less energy to light your room. You can also install an energy efficient exfan. And lastly, you can install a solar powered water heater. More than 10% of homeowner’s energy bills comes from heating water. If nothing else, consider turning down the temperature on your water heater. You will likely not even notice the difference but it can mean big savings! In an economy where we are all just trying to put a little more money in our bank accounts, saving money by making simple changes is a great option. You also cannot put a price on doing something that is good for the environment and for the nation as a whole. These changes will cost very little and will take minimal time, but they will have a big impact on your wallet.]]>