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Taming the Maintenance Monster
But like a car, your new home requires proper maintenance. Why, you may ask? After all, that new home smell hasn’t yet worn off.
A regular maintenance schedule keeps your home, like a new car, in tip top working order. Everyone knows that infrequent oil changes can nullify your vehicle warranty, right? Improper tire inflation wears your tire tread unevenly. If you have a warranty issue with your tires, the first thing checked is uneven wear due to under inflation.
The same type of rules exists for your new home. Did you know that infrequent filter changes can nullify your furnace warranty? Read the following warranty language from a furnace manufacturer: “…does not warrant any damage caused due to negligence and deterioration due to lack of proper ongoing maintenance, physical damage caused by abuse or freeze up, power surges, or unauthorized work or modifications done to the furnace.”
Caulk and grout shrinkage are normal homeowner responsibilities to maintain. By not maintaining caulk and grout, you could expose yourself to multiple moisture intrusion issues. Here’s language from a builder warranty: This LIMITED WARRANTY does not cover: Improper maintenance, negligence or improper use of the HOME or the COMMON ELEMENTS by YOU or anyone other than US that results in rot, dry rot, moisture, rust, mildew or any other damage.
Warranty issues aside, poor maintenance practices increase overall costs to live in your new home. For instance, establishing a routine maintenance schedule for your heating and cooling system will keep down your gas and electric bill.
What type of maintenance should you establish? Typically, new home builders provide customers with maintenance information. In case you don’t have a manual, here’s a general maintenance schedule to help you tame the maintenance monster.
• Change your furnace filter every month unless directed otherwise by the owner’s manual for the furnace. Failure to do so may cause excess wear on the unit and could void the warranty provided by the manufacturer. A clean filter will enable the furnace to run most efficiently.
• Smoke alarms are electronically wired to one another. A backup battery is included in each alarm in case of power failure. This battery should be changed every six months, but will chirp if battery is low and needs to be changed sooner. A buildup of dust may cause a false alarm, in which case the unit should be vacuumed out.
• Your house may or may not come with a sump pump. If you get water in your basement and do not have a sump pump, you might consider purchasing one. If your sump pump runs often, you may want to add an extension hose to the exterior to direct water away from the house. You should check the sump basin for water after a strong rain to ensure proper operation.
• Caulk & grout bi-annually. You must maintain all grouted and caulked areas in your home on an as-needed basis. Grout will crack and caulk will shrink. This is normal and not covered under your warranty.
• It is important to keep air conditioning condensers level and free of debris. An example of debris would be a cottonwood tree fiber. Failure to do so may cause the unit to run less efficiently and even possibly burn out the motor. Using a hose or vacuum is the best method to remove debris.
• Air exchangers have filters that need to be cleaned with a light vacuuming or rinsing. Intake vents on the outside of your home should be clear of debris and snow. Consult your owner’s manual for further instructions and usage/ maintenance during seasonal changes.
• Gas water heaters typically need to be partially drained once or twice a year to remove sediment that collects in them. Before doing anything, however, check the owner’s manual.
• If your home is equipped with a humidifier, the filter may need to be cleaned or changed on a yearly basis in the fall. You should consult your owner’s manual for detailed instructions on the proper care of your humidifier.
Fall
• Have furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified service company every two years for a gas furnace, and every year for an oil furnace.
• Open furnace humidifier damper on units with central air conditioning and clean humidifier.
• Lubricate circulating pump on hot water heating system.
• Bleed air from hot water radiators.
• Examine the forced air furnace fan belt for wear, looseness or noise; clean fan blades of any dirt buildup (after disconnecting the electricity to the motor first).
• Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season.
• Ventilation system, such as heat recovery ventilator, filters should be checked every two months.
• Vacuum electric baseboard heaters to remove dust.
• Remove the grilles on forced air systems and vacuum inside the ducts.
• If the heat recovery ventilator has been shut off for the summer, clean the filters and the core, and pour water down the condensate drain to test it.
• If the heat recovery ventilator has been shut off for the summer, clean the filters and the core, and pour water down the condensate drain to test it.
• Clean portable humidifier, if one is used.
• Have well water tested for quality. It is recommended that you test for bacteria every six months.
• Check sump pump and line to ensure proper operation, and to ascertain that there are no line obstructions or visible leaks.
• Replace window screens with storm windows.
• Remove screens from the inside of casement windows to allow air from the heating system to keep condensation off window glass.
• Ensure all doors to the outside shut tightly, and check other doors for ease of use. Renew door weather stripping if required.
• If there is a door between your house and the garage, check the adjustment of the self-closing device to ensure it closes the door completely.
• Ensure windows and skylights close tightly.
• Cover outside of air conditioning units.
• Ensure that the ground around your home slopes away from the foundation wall, so that water does not drain into your basement.
• Clean leaves from eaves troughs and roofs, and test downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof.
• Check chimneys for obstructions such as nests.
• Drain and store outdoor hoses. Close valve to outdoor hose connection and drain the hose bib (exterior faucet), unless your house has frost proof hose bibs.
• If you have a septic tank, measure the sludge and scum to determine if the tank needs to be emptied before the spring. Tanks should be pumped out at least once every three years.
• Winterize landscaping, for example, store outdoor furniture, prepare gardens and, if necessary, protect young trees or bushes for winter.
Winter
• Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season.
• Ventilation system, such as heat recovery ventilator, filters should be checked every two months.
• After consulting your hot water tank owner’s manual, drain off a dishpan full of water from the clean-out valve at the bottom of your hot water tank to control sediment and maintain efficiency.
• Clean humidifier two or three times during the winter season.
• Vacuum bathroom fan grille.
• Vacuum fire and smoke detectors, as dust or spider webs can prevent them from functioning.
• Vacuum radiator grilles on back of refrigerators and freezers, and empty and clean drip trays.
• Check gauge on all fire extinguishers; recharge or replace if necessary.
• Check fire escape routes, door and window locks and hardware, and lighting around outside of house; ensure family has good security habits.
• Check the basement floor drain to ensure the trap contains water. Refill with water if necessary.
• Monitor your home for excessive moisture levels—for example, condensation on your windows, which can cause significant damage over time and pose serious health problems—and take corrective action.
• Check all faucets for signs of dripping and change washers as needed. Faucets requiring frequent replacement of washers may be in need of repair.
• If you have a plumbing fixture that is not used frequently, such as a laundry tub or spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall, run some water briefly to keep water in the trap.
• Clean drains in dishwasher, sinks, bathtubs and shower stalls.
• Test plumbing shut-off valves to ensure they are working and to prevent them from seizing.
• Examine windows and doors for ice accumulation or cold air leaks. If found, make a note to repair or replace in the spring.
• Examine attic for frost accumulation. Check roof for ice dams or icicles. If there is excessive frost or staining of the underside of the roof, or ice dams on the roof surface, consult the CMHC "About Your House" fact sheet Attic Venting, Attic Moisture and Ice Dams for advice.
• Check electrical cords, plugs and outlets for all indoor and outdoor seasonal lights to ensure fire safety: if worn, or plugs or cords feel warm to the touch, replace immediately.
Use this checklist as a handy reference. Another great how-to-do maintenance resource is available on line. Lot onto www.paradeofhomes.org and scroll down to the Home-Smart link. This site, created by the Minnesota Home Builder’s Association, gives you thorough how to tips and pictures regarding new home maintenance. You can even sign up for regular emails to remind you when it’s time to take care of critical maintenance. And if you’re not internet capable, visit your local library or bookstore where you’ll find a plethora of home maintenance books.
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