In most areas of your life, preventive maintenance is one of the best courses you can adopt for yourself. From your physical health to your vehicle(s) and even your relationships, taking preventive steps to address potential problems before they get out of hand will save you a lot of time, money, and heartache.
And that’s just as true for your home, as well. What are the places or objects that you should focus on in terms of preventive maintenance? If you need some clues, here are three facets of your home where it will really pay off.
Your Water Heater
Depending on where you live, your heater can play a huge role in the functionality of your home. If you live in a region where the temperature drops during certain months, a fully functioning and dependable water heater will keep your family safe and warm.
To keep this machine working the way it should, Cassie Brill, a contributor to DIY Network, recommends that you bring in a licensed heating contractor, at least before the cold season strikes.
He or she will be able to tell you if something looks like it’s starting to wear out or needs to be replaced before it breaks down. This can save you a lot of money in emergency service. In addition, the contractor can assure you that it’s not leaking carbon monoxide into your home and endangering your family’s respiratory health.
Anywhere Water is Present
Wherever there’s water present in your home, you have to be vigilant and keep an eye on those areas. Water damage can swiftly grow from a small drip to a huge amount of damage that could end up costing you thousands of dollars to repair.
Jeanne Huber, a contributor to House Logic, recommends that every householder periodically check for leaks around the home and in areas like the roof, and to fix anything you find, obviously. If you see something that’s a recurring problem that you’ve tried to fix on your own in the past, that’s when you should call in a professional to address the root of the problem.
Alarms and Detectors
One of the worst things that can happen in the home is a fire or poisoning through smoke or carbon monoxide. Not only can these intrusions be very expensive to fix, but they can also cause great harm to your family.
To keep these tragedies from happening to you and your loved ones, Jeremy Anderberg, a contributor to ArtOfManliness, recommends that you check the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors at least twice a year.
You want these alarms to work correctly, so they will warn you of danger before a developing crisis gets out of control. To save yourself money and mental anguish, use the tips above to help you achieve suitable preventive maintenance on your home.