Essential but often overlooked home maintenance tasks

The following cleaning and maintenance tasks are essential for the home but unfortunately, most of them are overlooked. If you want your home to last a long time, do not ignore the following tasks.

 

Clean inside dryer and dryer vent

Lint buildup inside dryers causes more than 15,000 fires each year. Lint escapes through small openings around the edges of the dryer drum and falls into the cabinet, especially if the vent or vent cover is blocked, restricting air flow. Lint can be ignited by electric heating elements, gas burners, or even sparks from the motor, and the fire then spreads through the lint-filled vent.

A clogged dryer vent will cause the dryer to run inefficiently; it can even cause a fire. Dryers located in a central location in the home are most susceptible to clogging because they have longer ducts. Excess lint is just one reason for clogged ducts; nesting insects and stuck hoods can also cause blockages. Strong odors and longer drying times are two signs of a clogged vent.

 

Cleaning bathroom fan

Bathroom exhaust fans are one of the best defenses against mold. Dust and lint can build up in bathroom fans, making them difficult to operate. And since they're often located out of sight on the ceiling, you may not even realize they're dirty.

Luckily, bathroom fans are easy to clean. Grab the edge of the cover and pull down. Squeeze the spring to release it from the slot and remove the cover.

Cleaning the water jet of the faucet

The jetting element is found on most kitchen and bathroom faucets, and if the water flow is slow or uneven, the cause is usually a blockage inside the jetting element. Fortunately, cleaning and repairing a clogged faucet is an easy problem to fix.

Check water pressure

High water pressure can damage pipes, connections, and appliances. It can also cause hydrostatic damage and waste a lot of water. Checking high water pressure is an often overlooked maintenance item, and it's also fairly easy to do. A new pressure reducing valve and a simple pressure gauge like this one, which can be connected to a faucet or laundry sink faucet, are available at home improvement stores.

 

Water heater monitoring

By spending just a few minutes on basic maintenance once a year, you can extend the life of your water heater and maintain its performance and safety.

Clean the drain hole

The gutter may be the smallest part of many sliding windows and vinyl replacement windows, but it serves a huge purpose. The small holes, located on the outside bottom of the window frame, are the outlet for rainwater to drain out of the house, but they often become clogged with debris.

To make sure the drains are working properly, spray the outside of the window with a garden hose - a steady stream of clean water should come out of the holes. If not, use a coat hanger or compressed air to dislodge the obstruction. Check again with clean water to make sure it's completely cleared.