Winter- Home Maintenance Schedule

Now that we've had the first snow fall we wanted to send you your Winter Home Maintenance Schedule. Inspecting your home on a regular basis and following good maintenance practices is the best way to protect your investment in your home. Whether you take care of a few tasks at a time or several all at once, it is important to get into the habit of doing them. Establish a routine for yourself and you will find the work is easy to accomplish and not very time consuming. A regular schedule of seasonal maintenance can put a stop to the most common and costly problems, before they occur.

If necessary use a camera to take pictures of anything you might want to share with an expert for advice or to monitor or remind you of a situation later. By following the information noted here, you will learn about protecting your investment and how to help keep your home a safe and healthy place to live. If you do not feel comfortable performing some of the home maintenance tasks listed below, or have the necessary equipment, for example a ladder, you may want to consider hiring a qualified handy person to help you.

Seasonal home maintenance

While most maintenance is seasonal, there are some things you should do on a frequent basis year round:

• Make sure air vents indoors and outside (intake, exhaust and forced air) are not blocked by snow or debris.
• Check and clean range hood filters on a monthly basis.
• Test the ground fault circuit interrupter(s) monthly by pushing the test button, which should then cause the reset button to pop up.
• If there are young children in the house, make sure electrical outlets are equipped with safety plugs.
• Regularly check the house for safety hazards such as a loose handrail, lifting or buckling carpet, etc.
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Winter can be the most grueling season for your home so it is important to follow this checklist:

December

• Check air ducts
• Check for excessive snow on roof
• Clean furnace filter and HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator)
• Clean humidifier
• Check and reset GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter)
• After consulting your hot water tank owner's manual, drain off a dishpan full of water from the clean-out valve at the bottom of your hot water tank to control sediment and maintain efficiency
• Vacuum fire and smoke detectors, as dust or spider webs can prevent them from functioning.
• Vacuum radiator grilles on back of refrigerators and freezers, and empty and clean drip trays.
• Check gauge on all fire extinguishers; recharge or replace if necessary
• Check fire escape routes, door and window locks and hardware and lighting around outside of house
• Check the basement floor drain to ensure the trap contains water.
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January

• Clean furnace filter and HRV
• Check furnace fan belt
• Check water heater for leaks
• Test exhaust fans
• Clean humidifier, monitor your home for excessive moisture levels
• Remove snow and ice from roof overhang/vents, windows and doors
• Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
• Check all faucets for signs of dripping and change washers as needed
• Clean drains in dishwasher, sinks, bathtubs and shower stalls
• Test plumbing shut-off valves to ensure they are working and to prevent them from seizing
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February

• Clean furnace filter and HRV
• Remove snow and ice from roof overhang/vents
• Check and reset GFCI
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Hope you find this checklist helpful and thanks again for giving us the opportunity to serve you. If you know of any friend, family or co-worker that can use our services please let us know. We are very proud of the fact that over 90% of our business continues to come directly from referrals.