Fall is here; this is one of the most important times of the year for home maintenance. With the cold nights just around the corner it is time to light the fires and with the furnace already running, it pays to keep ahead of potential problems by doing a little home maintenance. Home safety is always a priority, but protecting your investment in your home is important. Here is my Fall Home Safety and Maintenance TOP 10 List

1.      Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide detectors; Change the batteries, add more smoke detectors if you feel you need them. If you use any type of gas or have a fireplace you should have at least one Carbon Monoxide Detector in your home

2.      Fireplaces and Wood Stoves; Clean the inside of fireplace and chimney. If you have a free standing stove be sure the chimney is clear and the stove pipe is in good condition. If you find any debris or creosote inside the chimney be sure and clean it properly or call in a chimney sweep to clean and inspect the condition of your flue.

3.      Fire extinguisher; If you have one check the date and condition of it. If you don’t own one purchase one and mount it in the kitchen.

4.      Be sure you know where the main shut offs are for your gas, electric service and water, and know how to operate them.

5.      Heating System; If you have a furnace remove the cover and look and see if there is any excessive rust or any signs of gas leaks. Make sure the exhaust vent is in good condition. If you have a heat pump there is less maintenance since the heat pump uses the same components for heating and cooling. Keep filters clean and changed, this should be performed monthly on both types of heating systems. If you hear strange noises, suspect a gas leak or find any problem you are unsure of call a professional service technician in to make repairs immediately. 

6.      Duct Work; Check the ducts for cracks or openings that will loose air. You should turn the fan on and feel for air leaks around the unit itself and seal and tape any air leak. It is a good idea to check the duct work inside attics, basements and crawl space for air loss. Make any repairs with foil tape or caulking.

7.      Doors and Windows; Check the weather seals around your exterior doors replace or repair any damaged seals around the door including the threshold seal. Make sure all the windows close and lock properly and repair any air gaps. If you have single pane glass windows on your home consider adding plastic over the windows to cut down on drafts.

8.      Plumbing; Frost free faucets will drain and not freeze if you unhook the water hose from the outside faucets to allow them to drain, (many of the newer models do no require this but it is still good practice) If you do not have freeze proof faucets buy some of the foam weather covers and install them over the faucets to prevent freezing. Protect any plumbing pipes that are susceptible to freezing with pipe insulation.

9.      Gutters; Clean the gutters to keep the water away from the house. Be sure the downspouts and splash blocks or drains are carrying the water away from the house. 

10. Energy Efficiency; I have already talked about energy conservation in several of the earlier parts of this list, but using common sense and doing the simple things can result in considerable savings and create better home comfort. If you feel air moving inside your home that is not the result of your heating system do a little detective work and see if you are getting air from an outside air source, you may be surprised how much air infiltration comes from your crawl space or attic due to small openings that are not sealed. One of the more common places I find problems is inside the heat return behind the filter; I often find openings that you can actually see into the crawl space or attic. This allows the heat unit to pull air from the outside air resulting in higher heating cost and poor air quality. If you have a whirlpool tub with a louvered access check and see if you feel cold air coming from the access, I have found several of these that allow air transfer from the crawl space into the living area. These are just a couple of areas that I find problems that are costing you money every day, so be on the look out for lost energy dollars.

 

Bentley & Associates Home Inspection Services provides Home Inspections, EIFS Inspections, Radon Testing, Mold Testing in Knoxville, Maryville, Morristown, Loudon, Lenoir City TN. Donnie Bentley and Lisa Bentley manage the company and have 5 TN Licensed home inspectors on staff and answer the phones with a real live person to provide better service in the Home inspection business. Bentley & Associates Home Inspection Services also provides Termite closing letters for Real Estate transfers