When something breaks all of a sudden and you weren’t anticipating spending big bucks on fixing it, we run into a problem. Luckily, by being proactive, we can help to mitigate failure of major systems and appliances around your home. Here are a few ways we can do this:
Clean AC units: As weather warms up at the end of the winter, it’s a great time to hose down AC units, remove any debris from grates, and spray AC cleaning solutions along the grates to ensure a nice clean machine. Hose down the remaining solution and bam, you’re done. This is also a good time to remove any plants, shrubs, or material around the unit to ensure there are no obstructions. This is an easy way to prevent a costly maintenance bill and servicing.
Clean Dryer Lint Hoses: Dryers should routinely be cleaned from any debris and lint as this can pose a fire hazard, but most of us simply dump the lint trap and go about our day. Once in a while, it’s a good idea to remove your dryer hose (while power is disconnected) and remove any lint that tends to build up in it over time. This can help to ensure your dryer keeps running cleanly and smoothly. My old dryer stopped working for this exact reason, but at the time I bought a whole new dryer because of this, only to realize the problem was a clogged dryer hose, not the dryer. Oops.
Clean inside of Dishwasher: By this I mostly mean remove any trapped food, debris, or gunk in the bottom of the dishwasher that could be impeding the system from draining water or cleaning properly. You may even notice cleaner dish loads after doing this, but it should help keep your dishwasher flowing water easily.
Change out air filters: If your furnace has a slot for an air filter, it’s a good idea to change them regularly, on a monthly basis if possible. These can be bought in bulk packs on Amazon and are very easy to insert and remove from the furnace, and will ensure you and your family are breathing clean air.
When dealing with appliances, always make sure power is disconnected and always talk to a professional who specializes with them. That being said, the items I listed are simple upkeep that should help elongate the life of some of the most expensive things in your home.