You probably already have a home maintenance checklist: Replace the furnace filter each season, shut off water spigots before winter, clean the gutters, etc.

That's a good start, but there are jobs that homeowners often forget about, or don't even know about.

To turn a daunting requirement into a more easily manageable checklist, we’ve broken down home maintenance tasks that may not be on your list items that may cause a big headache, or worse, cost you big money if you neglect them.

1. Test Your Sump Pump Regularly

It's easy to forget about your sump pump, but it's important to make sure it's in good working order. If you don't, you could end up like the homeowner who returned from a weekend trip to discover his entire basement floor covered in 1/2 in. of water. After shutting down the power, he waded over to the sump pump and noticed it wasn't working.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that the cable attached to the float must have gotten tangled somehow. It took him two seconds to untangle the cable, and then he spent the next 15 hours dragging out waterlogged carpet, running the wet/dry vac and moving fans around. To avoid a similar disaster, be sure your pump has a vertical float switch. Also, check your pump at least a couple times a year by dumping water into the basin to make sure everything is working properly.

 

2. Install CFLs or LED Lights Where You Can

New lighting technology has really come a long way. Now although they do cost more than traditional incandescent bulbs, CFL and LED bulbs can last for years without having to replace them. You don’t even need to replace every bulb in the house at once. Even swapping just your four or five most-used light bulbs can save you $45 or more a year!

CFL vs. LED

CFLs, which use a quarter of the energy of incandescent bulbs and last for years, are the next cheapest option after traditional bulbs. But they also have some drawbacks: They take a while to warm up to full brightness, and they also contain a small amount of mercury.

Meanwhile, LEDs are more expensive. However, they’re getting cheaper all the time, and they are easily the best lighting option available: They light up instantly, are efficient as CFLs, produce a warm glow without getting hot to the touch, and can last for decades.

 

3. Clean Refrigerator Coils

Refrigerator condenser coils are located on the back of the fridge or across the bottom. When coils are clogged with dust, pet hair and cobwebs, they can't efficiently release heat. The result is your compressor works harder and longer than it was designed to, using more energy and shortening the life of your fridge. Clean the coils with a coil-cleaning brush and vacuum. A coil-cleaning brush, which is bendable to fit in tight areas, does a thorough job. Look for one online or at appliance stores.

 

4. Keep Window Wells Clean

If you've never had a problem with water in a window well, you may never think to clean it out. Here's what happened to one homeowner who neglected his window wells. After an average rainfall, not even a heavy downpour, a clogged gutter dumped a lot of water next to his house and into his window well.

The leaves in the well acted like a pool liner, preventing drainage, and the water level rose higher and higher until the pressure broke the basement windows. Gallons and gallons of water poured into the basement, ruining everything in sight. Unfortunately, he had no insurance coverage for that type of flood. Don't let this happen to you. Keep window wells clean with a cover, available at home centers.

 

5. Lube Garage Door Springs

Coat the overhead torsion springs mounted above roller tracks with a garage door lubricant. All springs will eventually break because of metal fatigue and/or corrosion, but lubing them at least once a year will make them last longer. Spraying can be messy; it's smart to protect the wall behind the spring with a piece of cardboard. Garage door lubricant is available at home centers.

 

6. Get A Home Warranty and Never Pay For Covered Home Repairs Again!

Still unknown to many is a brilliant Home Warranty Program called the Choice Home Warranty that could benefit millions of households and help them never pay for covered appliance failures, furnace breakdowns, electrical issues and so much more! You likely have homeowners insurance, right? A Home Warranty Plan is similar to a homeowners insurance plan, but it actually covers many things that an insurance plan won't like a broken refrigerator, a broken furnace or an electrical malfunction on a ceiling fan.

 

Often times, new homeowners are offered a 1 or 2-year home warranty plan when they purchase a home. This is generally a huge plus for the home buyer because it takes away the stress of having to pay for likely issues that might come up during the first year or two of owning the home. Issues such as a broken refrigerator or dishwasher aren't fun to deal with. Or how about a broken furnace or air conditioner? These would likely cost $1,000s of dollars to fix!

Luckily, homeowners now have the option to get a home warranty plan anytime after they bought their home. Even if you've lived there for 20 years, you can still get your own home warranty plan that will cover the cost of many unforeseen home repairs!

Get Your Free Quote Now >>
 

7. Drain Sediment From Your Water Heater

A distraught homeowner called a plumber because her water heater wasn't heating, and furthermore, it was leaking. Right away, the plumber asked if the homeowner had been draining some of the water from it every year. The puzzled homeowner said, 'No. Why?' It turns out that sediment will collect at the bottom of the tank.

This creates hot spots on gas-powered heaters that can damage the tank and cause premature failure. On an electric water heater, sediment buildup can cause the lower heating element to fail. So, occasionally draining a water heater will lower energy bills and extend its life. We recommend draining water heaters at least once a year.

 

8. Use Government Rebates To Get Solar Panels And Slash Your Energy Bills

Warning: Do not pay your next energy bill until you read this...

This is the 1 simple truth your power company doesn't want you to know. There is a new policy in 2022 that qualifies homeowners who live in specific zip codes to be eligible for $1,000's of Government funding to install solar panels. Has your power company told you that? Of course not. They hope homeowners don't learn about this brilliant way to reduce your energy bill tremendously!

When homeowners check whether they qualify many are shocked that subsidies and rebates can cover a lot of the costs associated with installation so it greatly reduces the amount you'll have to pay. Many may qualify for $0 down! Soon, you could be on your way to significantly reducing your electric bill in a matter of weeks.

Smart homeowners are setting out to do their own research and determine whether this new program lives up to its reputation. Over and over again, many are reporting back on their findings, with the most exciting part being that they are now able to save $1,000s a year on their own energy bill.

Estimate Your New Power Bill >>
 

9. Check for Mice Nests

Mice love to winter in enclosed places like engine compartments, window A/C units, and lawn tractor nooks and crannies. If a vehicle or piece of equipment has been sitting unused for a while, check for mice nests before you start it up. The last thing you want to do is take out your boat and discover that you have little furry stowaways that have chewed through half the wires. Mice nests can also cause electronics to overheat and can get sucked into and clog carburetors.

 

10. Childproof Your Outlets Even If You Don't Have Kids

If you have an older home, the exterior walls may be poorly insulated. And when you have poorly insulated walls, the holes that your outlets are in can be areas where the outside cold/heat can enter your home.

A simple solution to this is to install child-proof outlet plugs in any unused outlet on an exterior wall. This will close the gaps and reduce the amount of air that can leak through.

 

11. Keep Flies Away from Your Porch and Patio

Don't pay for expensive pest exterminators just yet... this little-known bug hack could save you hundreds of dollars every year.

There's been a lot of viral videos around this unique method to repelling annoying bugs. And we've done some research to see just how effective it is.

 

Irish Spring is known for its classic “invigorating” scent, and there are plenty of success stories on the internet from people using it to banish flies and even rodents around their home. You can get a mesh or nylon bag, place the bar of soap inside and hang it on your patio or porch. Most pests, including larger animals like rabbits and deer, hate the smell of strong soap, so this trick should keep your social gatherings and garden pest-free all summer.

Many people claim that it must be the original green bar. It's worth a try to see if it works for you!

 

12. Give Your Air Conditioner Some Space

Just like we need to breathe, your air conditioner needs space where it's getting air easily. Many AC units are surrounded by shrubs that can restrict the airflow it needs to run efficiently. Take a few minutes this weekend and do the following:

Trim up any bushes that are touching the unit so there is at least 1 foot of clearance

Clean up the ground for any loose debris or leaves

If the outside of the unit has a lot of debris clogging it up, consider having a professional service and clean it out

 

13. Clean Dryer Vents

A plugged dryer vent will cause your dryer to run inefficiently, and that's bad. A plugged dryer vent could also cause a house fire, and that could be deadly! Dryers that are centrally located in houses are most prone to plugging because of the longer ducts.

Excess lint is only one reason ducts get clogged; nesting pests and stuck exhaust hood flappers can also cause backups. Stronger odors and longer dry times are two signs your vent is plugged. You'll have to remove the vent from the back of the dryer to clean it. Suck debris from the ducts with a wet/dry vac, or ream them out with a cleaning kit that includes a brush on a long flexible rod that attaches to a power drill. The kits are available at home centers. If your ducts need replacing, get smooth metal ducts, which will stay cleaner longer than the rough corrugated surface of flexible ducts. Avoid plastic ducting altogether; it can be a fire hazard.

14. New Auto Insurance Policy Benefit For Homeowners

Here’s what auto insurance companies don’t want you to know...and what thousands of consumers are quickly learning about their current auto insurance plan:

If you're a homeowner paying more than $63 per month for auto insurance, this little-known benefit could put $531 back in your pocket this year! Your insurance company won't want you knowing this.

 

Insurance companies are always competing to win your business, but if you turn a blind eye and keep the same policy in place for a long period of time, your rates might have increased. Doing a quick benefits checkup, drivers are saving an average of $531 per year with a new policy.

So do yourself a favor and do a quick comparison by filling out a short form (about 4 minutes). This is a fast way you can start saving on your auto bills.

Compare Auto Insurance Rates >>
 

15. Use Discounts at Lowes

All active military and veterans are entitled to get a 10% discount on all in-store purchases at Lowe's.

To make it even better, Lowe's extends this offer to their spouses! Need new tools? How about new appliances? Lowe's carries a variety of things, so take advantage of this incredible discount!

 

16. Born Before 1986? Get $3,600/year Off Your Mortgage With The Federal Reserve Bank's Lucrative Rate "Push Down" Initiative

Banks Don't Want Homeowners Knowing This

Still unknown to many is a brilliant mortgage plan called the Rate and Term Option (RaTO) that could benefit millions of Americans and reduce their payments by as much as $3,600 per year! You could bet the banks aren't too thrilled about losing all that profit and might secretly hope homeowners don't find out before the rules change.

So while the banks happily wait for interest rates to skyrocket, experts are making a nationwide push and urging homeowners to take advantage. This program currently exists as of January, but the rules could change soon. But the good news is that once you're in, you're in. If lowering your monthly payments or paying off your mortgage faster sounds good to you, it's vital you act now and see if you could qualify for RaTO or a better rate in today's marketplace.

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