As the seasons change, many homeowners begin shifting focus to their heating and air systems. It is during this season that HVAC install services are in high demand as people prepare their homes for the season ahead. AC heating and cooling repair services are important all year round but especially ahead of the changing of the seasons. Heating and cooling systems need regular tuning and updating to ensure they can keep you and your family comfortable all season long.
AC heating contractors can come and do an on-site inspection to make sure everything is in good working order and that any issues are dealt with as soon as possible. You can check local business listings to find local contractors who service your area. You can also use a smart device and tell it to ‘find AC providers near me. You can also talk to local vo-tech schools and ask to get in touch with new graduates who are starting their AC repair careers. Options are out there, so find the HVAC service provider in your area and see what they can do for you and your heating and cooling system!
As a homeowner, you may put a lot of emphasis on home property maintenance. You may spend a lot of time focusing on maintaining the cosmetic features of your home, such as your furniture and your decor. However, are you also emphasizing the importance of maintaining your three big home fixtures?
These three big home fixtures are your HVAC system, plumbing system, and roof. These fixtures are essential to your home’s structure and if they’re broken, they can cause a lot of damage and cost you thousands of dollars. This is why it’s crucial that you properly maintain these fixtures.
So, how are you supposed to do this? Here are some important tips for home property maintenance for your HVAC, plumbing, and roof.
HVAC System Tips
Tip 1: Check Your HVAC System At Least Once A Year
One of the most important home property maintenance tips is to get your HVAC system checked at least once a year. Your HVAC system is a central fixture in your home. It controls the regulation of heating and cooling in your home and helps regulate air quality by circulating fresh air.
Your HVAC system is important because it helps ventilate the air. It reduces the number of pollutants and bacteria in the air, which reduces your chance of getting sick. If your HVAC system isn’t working properly, your air quality could become compromised and make you sick. Your HVAC system is also responsible for regulating your home’s temperature, and typically it reacts to the outdoor temperature. If your HVAC system is broken, it may not react properly to the outdoor temperature. This could lead to your home being warmer or cooler than it actually needs to be.
To avoid issues like this, have your HVAC system checked at least once a year. Have a professional check all aspects of the system, including heat pumps, the furnace, the air conditioning unit, and your backup heating source. If you heavily use aspects of your HVAC system year-round, you’ll want to get those evaluated every six months. The more your system is maintained, the less likely issues will arise. If issues do come up, you can be proactive and get them fixed before they become large issues.
Tip 2: Change Your Filters and Clean Your Vents
An important part of home property maintenance with your HVAC system is to properly change out filters and clean out vents. Typically your air filters are located in the return duct, so check these filters every three to six months. If you have allergies, check them more frequently. Your air ducts should be cleaned out every two to five years. This is recommended to clear out allergens and dust particles to improve your home’s overall air quality. It’s also a good chance to clear the vents of any potential fire hazards. You never know what can fall into vents, especially during times where you aren’t looking at the vents regularly. Checking the vents and cleaning out the filters can allow you to identify potential hazards and clear them out before anything happens.
If you aren’t comfortable doing this yourself, you can hire heating contractors to help you clean your heating and cooling vents. The cleaner the vents, the less likely you’ll have poor air quality in your home. These contractors may also have tips for you in regards to properly cleaning the filters and vents.
Tip 3: Control Your Home’s Temperature
When thinking about home property maintenance for your HVAC system, you must make it a priority to control your home’s temperature. Your home’s temperature is important for multiple reasons. For starters, it dictates how comfortable you and your guests are inside your home. If your house is too cold or too hot, it could discourage people from visiting your home. A poorly temperature-regulated home could also cause your heating and cooling bill to go up. A house that’s too cold or too hot could get damp, which could lead to mold and mildew forming. In severe cases, your walls and floor could even start to warp.
If your HVAC system isn’t properly controlling your home’s temperature, try to diagnose the issue right away and get a solution. If you have home heating oil delivery, get the issue fixed before your next delivery comes. Hire professionals to come to your home and check out your HVAC system. The sooner you get this issue fixed, the better shape your home will be in.
Plumbing Tips
Tip 1: Check Your Pipes
Your home’s plumbing system is extremely important to pay attention to. It’s an aspect of home property maintenance that can have a significant impact on your home’s overall function. Your plumbing is responsible for getting wastewater out of your home while also distributing drinking water throughout your home. If your plumbing pipes are not working, it could cause a lot of issues for your home. Your pipes could rust and leak, which could lead to water damage in your home. If you notice this happening, call a plumbing service right away.
There are other signs your home has plumbing issues. If your sink is dripping, your sinks are slow to drain, your toilet is clogged, or you have extremely low water pressure, your pipes could be the issue. Clogged pipes can cause backup and in extreme cases cause pipes to burst. This can lead to substantial water damage in your home and damage your overall plumbing system. If you notice these signs, contact a plumber to help you determine what your next steps should be and how you can properly fix the issue.
Tip 2: Don’t Ignore Signs of Damage
Part of home property maintenance is about spotting signs that something may be wrong. If you notice signs of water damage, do some investigating immediately. Signs of water damage include discoloration and stains on the walls and/or floor, odd odors, peeling paint, and mold forming in the area. Look for these signs of damage in areas where pipes are prevalent in your home, like the kitchen and bathroom. Also, be sure to check the ceilings for signs of water damage so you can determine whether the plumbing leak could be on the upper floors of your home.
If you notice these signs, address them immediately. Untreated water damage can lead to extensive damage to your home and cost you thousands of dollars in repairs. Once you notice this damage, call a plumbing contractor right away and get your pipes fixed. A professional plumbing professional will have a good idea of how to fix the pipes and could give you tips for preventing this issue from happening.
Tip 3: Evaluate Your Shower and Toilet
Part of conducting home property maintenance is checking out the fixtures of your home that pose the most risk for pipes bursting. Some of these fixtures include your shower and your toilet. These are important fixtures to evaluate for pipe damage because they have a lot of pipes and water running to them. If you notice excess water forming around your shower or toilet, do some investigating into why that is. Some may dismiss water around the toilet or shower as a sign of everyday use when it could be a sign that a pipe is leaking. You should also look for signs of chipped tiles and water spots along the bathroom walls.
If you notice water starting to pool around your shower or toilet, evaluate the pipes right away. If your toilet or shower sustained water damage, look into toilet repair and shower repair. The more repairs you make, the more damage you’ll prevent from happening. You should also check the surrounding areas of the shower and toilet for damage. While the main pipe issue could be attached to the shower or toilet, there’s a chance the issue could be spread across multiple pipes in the bathroom.
Roof Tips
Tip 1: Look For Leaks
As you go down the list of home property maintenance projects, one of the most important fixtures to focus on is the roof. Your roof is an essential part of your home’s structure that protects it from weather and damage. That’s why it’s important for your roof to be in good shape. Over time, though, your roof can get damaged from long-term exposure to weather and general wear and tear. As a property owner, you need to look for this kind of damage to your roof. It’s especially important to look for signs of leaks.
A leaking roof can cause a lot of damage to your home. Signs of a leaky roof include water stains, spots on the walls, and a drip coming from the attic. If a roof leak goes untreated for a long period of time, it can cause structural damage to your roof and your home. There are times where the damage is too severe to fix, though. If you see damage or it’s been over 20 years since your roof has been replaced, it’s time to invest in roof replacement. If you want to avoid replacing the roof altogether, be sure to take preventative measures to avoid leaky roofs or fix the damage as quickly as possible.
Tip 2: Maintain Your Roof Regularly
Part of taking on the responsibility of home property maintenance is maintaining your roof regularly. Regular roof maintenance will help keep your roof intact for a longer period of time. Roof maintenance tips include inspecting shingles each season, removing debris from the roof, and replacing any shingles that are discolored, cracked, or broken. It also includes sealing up any cracks and getting rid of any dry rot you see on the roof. Dry rot can spread easily, so if you don’t take care of it quickly, it could expand to a larger surface area of your roof. Taking care of your roof as the years go on will help you get more years out of your roof.
If you need help maintaining your roof, contact local roofing companies to lend you a hand. Your roof is a fixture in your home you don’t want to compromise, which is why you should leave it to professionals to fix it properly. Look for companies that have good reputations and do good work. Look online to read reviews and, if possible, look at before and after pictures of roof maintenance and repair. The more you know about a company’s service, the better.
Tip 3: Winterize Your Roof
Something you can do to help decrease the risk of damage to your roof is to winterize your roof. Winterizing your roof means you prepare your roof for winter by taking a number of actions. These actions include cleaning your gutters, repairing shingles, trimming overgrown tree branches, and checking for damage inside your attic. During the winter, your roof can sustain damage through moisture getting into cracks and expanding. If you live in an area where it snows, the snow can weigh heavily on the roof and cause it to crack, or if the roof is damaged enough, cave in. Removing snow from your roof during the winter can help reduce the risk of this happening.
Contact roofing contractors to help you winterize your roof. Preparing for the winter weather can help you properly maintain your roof and help prevent damage from happening. Once you remove the debris from the roof and eliminate any lingering chance of debris damaging your roof in the winter, you can focus on working on other projects. Plus, if you get the right people to help you out, your winterizations efforts could really pay off in the long run.
When looking at the aspects of home property maintenance, you must focus on three important fixtures in your home: your HVAC system, your plumbing system, and your roof. These essential fixtures can cost a lot of money to replace if they aren’t maintained properly. Take the time to do your due diligence and maintain them to prevent future damage from happening. The more proactive you are with these fixtures, the more likely your fixtures will last longer and ultimately save you money.