Home Maintenance Tips You Just Can't Forget this Fall
Many homeowners use the bi-annual time change as a reminder to change the batteries in their smoke alarms. The following are three more home maintenance items that you may want to add to this twice-yearly ritual. Changing air filters Cleaning dryer ducts Draining the water heater Whether it’s time to fall back or spring forward, remembering to take care of these items will significantly help improve the efficiency and the longest possible useful life of the unit. HMS Home Warranty is an industry leader with over 30 years of creating success for clients and providing peace of mind for customers. To learn more click www.hmsnational.com.
Every few months, the air filter in a home's heating system needs to be cleaned or replaced, depending on its type. Failure to do this can result in a less efficient heating system, overworked fans and a significant decrease in air quality. Filters are readily available in your local home improvement stores, and perhaps even in the home cleaning aisle of your local supermarket.
While anyone who has done his or her own laundry knows that a dryer's filter screen needs to be cleaned between loads, even experienced homeowners don't know that it is important to regularly clean out the vent to the outside of the home. Over time, bits of lint that aren't caught by the lint trap will coat the inside of the dryer vent. If left like this, the dryer will work less efficiently, but more importantly, there is a significant risk of fire.
Over time, water heaters accumulate sediment toward the bottom of the tank. This sediment can decrease a home's hot water quality and diminish the heater's ability to work efficiently. This sediment removed through yearly draining and cleaning, but many homeowners neglect this vital task. Draining the water heater on a consistent schedule will provide better water quality, lower energy bills and a longer lifespan for the appliance.
