If you couldn’t care less and don’t think twice about home maintenance issues, you are not alone. Why would you daydream about your air-conditioner when it’s working fine. As long as your lights turn on and off, there’s no sense in wasting brain power on your electricity. And who really wants to think about what happens to whatever it is you flush down the toilet?
But you should. Not to be weird, but having a calendar to remind you to think about your electricity and other home maintenance items isn’t a terrible idea.
Unfortunately, many of us neglect preventative maintenance in our homes due to time, money, and just the busy-ness of life. The irony is ignoring potential issues now can and often does actually cost us more time and more money in the long run. A bigger issue in the future can be a problem for a few days or months and possibly ruin our lives… temporarily speaking: think awful hot summer with no A/C. Don’t forget about tune-ups or updates that going overlooked can get you, your family, and your home in some serious hot water. We’re not just talking about possible flooding (yes, it’s true that plumbing systems can be one of the most neglected because most issues are hidden from plain view) but also the water that will cause your bank account to drain fast.
Replacing windows, checking for smoke alarm batteries, changing light bulbs, recognizing little glitches and fixing them on your own are great ways to keep your home running smoothly. Your home is like its own ecosystem. Leaks, cracks, air circulation, and loose wiring all affect other parts of your home. If one small machinery part goes out, it’s always possible something else will be affected by that.
We’ve compiled a list of the big items you want to keep an eye on that could really cause havoc if they were to break down. Here is just a sample of what you could be looking at if you choose to ignore it issues around your home.
The List
Old Wiring– If your home is over twenty years old and you find yourself questioning the dependability of your lighting, you may have failing wires. You probably don’t have ghosts. Dim lights, flickering chandeliers, or newer appliances that seem to be functioning at a lower capacity are a red flag that you should look into your wiring.
Panel Box– Your panel box is the main electrical brain to your entire home. If wiring is potentially damaged or you find some of the circuits are not working properly, don’t overcompensate and try to reroute wiring. If you try to ignore your panel box, the replacement could be pretty significant, especially if you have failed wiring all throughout your home.
Plumbing- Loud flushing or pipe noises in the wall can mean your pipes are failing. If you neglect to investigate or repair a small issue with your plumbing, an accident can be incredibly expensive depending on the layout of your property. Most of the plumbing costs for replacement are not astronomical, but where your pipes are located can be the big obstacle: underneath marble flooring, through concrete walls – just to access your pipes could be the real issue. But it’s not as big of an issue than a massive leak, especially when you are unaware that it has been occurring over time.
Air Conditioner Malfunction – When one mechanical part of your air conditioner goes out, it can have an effect on the rest of the functioning parts. If you keep running your air-conditioner without a repair, you could further damage it or burn it right into the ground.
Hot Water Tank- Hot water tanks can be expensive and you may need to have special permits when you alter your home’s hot water tank depending on the city code where you live. A simple patch or monitoring system will help determine the state of your hot water tank, but if you let it go, the cost and damage of what can happen could be as shocking as a cold shower.
Refrigerator– How long has it been since you pulled your refrigerator away from the wall and looked behind it? Keeping your coils free from debris and maintaining proper air flow keeps it running longer. Do you really want to purchase a new refrigerator right now at these prices?
Ductwork– The air lungs of your home. If you haven’t performed a checkup on your ductwork for a while there’s no telling what kind of condition they may be in. If you experience uneven pocket temperatures in your home, you may need a replacement piece. If you have build up in your ductwork and rusting or cracks, you might be losing money from your air conditioner or heater overcompensating to catch up. Lastly, ductwork can not only affect your home systems but all those of you and your family. If your ducts haven’t been cleaned in some time, you are breathing in that dust, pet, dander, allergens, etc. every day. And medical bills tend to be much higher than home repairs.
Dryer Vent– These vents are important because if you forget about cleaning them you could end up having a fire. Laundry vents need to be cleaned regularly because if you are at risk for a fire, you may not just be replacing your dryer vent, you could be replacing your washer and your dyer.
We understand that everyone has a certain budget they need to abide by. However, with simple math, it’s easy to see that ignoring repairs could in fact cause serious expenses later on that you would have never needed to be paid.
We have two items to support you in staying proactive with home care to avoid pricey issues.
Our home maintenance checklist lists all of the routine maintenance you should be getting for your home to ensure all systems are running efficiently without issue. Get our checklist here.
Our Accurate Advantage Plan is for those who would like us to track home maintenance of electric, plumbing, heating & air systems. It includes routine check-ups, discounts on any future work needed, and more for less than $10/mo. Learn more here!
