Top 5 Home Maintenance Tasks To Save You Money
It’s not easy to find time for every single one of the home maintenance tasks we know we probably ought to do. For that matter, there may be some routine maintenance duties around the house that some of us don’t even know about. If you’re looking for a simple home maintenance list that will help you get started with a schedule of high priority tasks, here are five simple things you can do that will help keep your home in shape and save you money to boot.
Keep it clean. Not only does regular dusting and vacuuming enhance the appearance of your home, it can actually save you money. Dust in the air (most of it kicked up when we walk across dirty carpeting) means that furnace and air conditioner filters get clogged more quickly, and that can result in inefficiency and increased operational costs (plus damage to your heating and cooling system). Regular vacuuming with a HEPA-filter-equipped vaccum is a big help. Don’t forget to check those furnace filters regularly too. Every month is not too often (especially with today’s electrostatic-charged models), and never let them go without inspection for more than three months.
Clear your vent. Clogged vents on clothes dryers cause more than ten thousand house fires in the United States each year. Not only that, a dryer that is not properly vented can take up to three times as long to dry a load, resulting in wear and tear on the dryer and the clothes, along with increased energy costs. Clean the lint trap after every load, and either inspect and clean the vent yourself (or hire someone to do it) at least twice a year.
Unsludge your water heater. Sediment built up in a water heater can decrease its efficiency by one-half. It’s easy to stop the build up by draining some water from the bottom every few months. Either attach a hose and open the spigot, or put a bucket underneath and drain some water out. If the water comes out clear, then it doesn’t take much. If it’s murky or has visible sediment, a gallon or two ought to do the trick. Remember that the water will be hot, so keep your hands back to avoid scalding.
Dust bunnies begone. Even though nobody will see underneath your refrigerator, dust blankets there are a bad thing, causing inefficiency and, ultimately, damage. Keep your fridge in top condition and increase its useful life by cleaning regularly around the coils. Don’t be fooled by the ones without visible coils either. Even the newer models have filters and fans than need attention. Check your owner’s manual for maintenance details.
Let there be light. Okay, maybe this isn’t exactly a maintenance tip, but here goes. Have you considered replacing your old incandescent light bulbs (the ones we all love with the pleasing, warm glow) with the more efficient CFLs (the ones we all hate with the gastly florescent harshness)? Though many of us will hate to see our beloved 60 watt incandescents go, CFLs can save you a bundle. Since electric lighting is one of our top energy costs, it’s worth taking a look. The additional couple bucks outlay on the front end for the higher cost bulbs could save you as much as $20 a year, perhaps even more if you live in an area where energy costs are high. Since the CFLs don’t emit as much heat, they also help you save on cooling costs in warmer areas of the country. Add to that less time spent changing bulbs (since the average life of a CFL is as much as 15 times that of an incandescent bulb) and the proposition becomes more attractive.
These are just a few of the simple things you can do around your home to save money and keep things running smoothly. If you need help with household repair, maintenance or cleaning, check out our Angie’s List coupons for savings of 25% on your membership to the nation’s top consumer site.
