Winter is coming and your major appliances need to be ready to work. Before temperatures drop, it is wise to perform preventative maintenance on your critical appliances. Specifically, it is time to perform routine maintenance on items like the hot water heater and HVAC unit.
In the long run, preventative maintenance will save you big bucks. The average price to repair a hot water heater is over $900. The cost to completely replace a unit is many times higher.
Read on to learn how a maintenance checklist can keep your home in shape. Explore tips on how to prevent potential problems from arising this winter season.
Inspect the Roof
A functioning roof over your head is perhaps the most important element of homeownership. Before it gets too cold, carefully climb onto your roof and perform a thorough inspection.
Make sure that all roofing tiles are in place and not curled up. In addition, clear any buildup from leaves, pines, or twigs. This debris buildup creates a vulnerability for your roof as water is blocked from flowing into gutters.Sometimes, leaks are not visible from the roof. Instead, you need to head to the attic and look for damp spots. It is important to complete a roof inspection before the first snowfall.
Clean the Gutters
Along the same lines, you need to clean your gutters before winter. During the fall, your gutters are filling it up with leaves and debris.
If you fail to remove this debris, it will prevent your gutters from operating correctly in the winter. This results in backed-up water, which will freeze if temperatures are low enough. The end result may be damaged gutters if they get too heavy.
Service Your Appliances
Your major appliances are going to be working hard as temperatures drop below freezing. This is especially true for the HVAC unit and hot water heater.
Of course, you should perform simple maintenance like changing air filters and making sure the pilot light is on. However, there are more complicated maintenance actions that require a professional touch.
By preemptively contacting this water heater repair company, for example, you could prevent a major failure during the winter. The last thing you need is a cold shower or inoperable HVAC unit during a snow storm.
Seal the House
If your home is not airtight, you run the risk of astronomical energy bills in the winter. Your HVAC unit has to work harder if cold air is entering the house through windows and doors.
To prep your home, purchase some weatherstripping to seal door jams. Place a decorative draft snake at the bottom of front or side doors. Lastly, make sure to re-caulk around windows to complete the seal.
A Recap of Winter Maintenance Checklist
Each winter presents a new challenge for your home. Appliances and home structures are put under considerable burden due to freezing temperatures or snow.
Performing simple maintenance like resealing windows or cleaning gutters goes a long way. If you enjoyed this blog about the winter maintenance checklist, check out our blog for more great content.
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