Seriously, this is the year I’m going to get a handle on home maintenance.
—
Okay, the picture is a slight exaggeration. I hope! Unfortunately this is what it may feel like to some of us who aren’t great at routine maintenance. Sometimes you remember the air filter, sometimes you let it slide. No harm no foul – right? Maybe, maybe not. Do you really want to take the chance?
With that in mind, the following list should cover the essentials for a large majority of homes, apartments, or condos. Whether you own or rent, making sure these tasks are completed regularly can save time, money and hassle.
Feel free to modify for your specific situation. I also did not include any type of lawn care, other than general landscaping and drainage issues.
January – Change air/furnace filter.
February – Clean refrigerator coils. Not sure how to do this? How long have you had a refrigerator? Check the manufacturers instructions. It’s really quite simple.
March – Clean gutters and check downspouts for blockage and proper drainage. Drain and flush water heater – this is one that almost nobody does, but it can increase the efficiency and life of the water heater. Again, check manufacturers instructions. If you aren’t comfortable doing it yourself, incorporate it into annual HVAC maintenance.
April – Change air/furnace filter.
May – Clean A/C condenser coils. Bonus tip – flip mattress.
June – Check and clean dryer vent, bathroom, and kitchen exhaust, fans and ducts.
July – Change air/furnace filters. Change batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
August – Thoroughly clean ceiling fans. Clean and seal tile grout. Check interior/exterior weather stripping and caulking.
September – Change water filters. Run self-clean oven (check to see if manufacturer recommends removing oven racks).
October – Change air/furnace filter. Clean gutters and check downspouts for blockage and proper drainage.
November – Complete exterior/slash basement inspection. Inspect roof, siding, windows, landscaping, basement walls – interior and exterior, decks, patios, driveways. Keep a list or pictures from previous inspections and compare for undesirable or drastic changes. Bonus tip – flip mattress.
December – Check washing machine hoses, under sink connections, water shut-off valves (rotate the valves off and on a couple of times), any pipes that are wrapped with insulation, and main water shut-off valve.
◊♦◊
That is my list of essential yearly maintenance broken down on a monthly basis. Please let me know if I have left any thing you find important off of the list.
◊♦◊
What do you want to know about DIY?
Do you have specific projects you would like to tackle? Not sure how to get started? Convinced that you won’t be able to get answers to your questions at the hardware store? Great! Tom wants to know.
Leave a comment or send an email to [email protected].
Check back to see if your question gets answered here at the Good Men Project DIY on Saturdays.
◊♦◊
Photo/Flickr:Seattle Municipal Archives
It’s helpful to have a calendar of things that I should do to maintain my HVAC each month. I want it to run for at least a few more years, so it seems like I should do something to maintain it to prevent repairs. It seems like I should pay more attention when it comes to changing my HVAC filters. I’ve recently had them changed, but I usually forget to get it done. I’ll be sure to change them again come October. Thanks for the information!
I would add :
Check flexible gas lines for leaks. These may be hidden behind stoves and dryers. Use children’s bubble blowing soap, or a dab ‘o’ dishsoap in water. Wait 3-4 minutes, then examine.