12 Month Plan for Your Home

Hey there everyone !!! Jeff da Plumber™ here with another how-to, home tip. Since it is the new year, I thought I would share with you all a home maintenance timeline that I use in my home. If I follow it in my home, it is simple, cost-effective, and safe.

So now, here are the 12 Months of Household Tips:

January

When you are taking down those lights, be sure to clean the gutters. The rain is coming and you want to have your gutters free and clear of debris.

February

Trim those pesky trees. This will prevent damage to nearby cars and the house. Those strong winds can come in and you want there to be no way the branches can damage you or your home.

March

This is a plumbing month. Inspect all of your toilets, sinks, and showers. Make sure there are not any leaks. This saves you money on your bill and saves the planet too. Be sure to inspect your water heater too. Make sure it is not leaking or off temperature from previous months. If you do encounter a problem and need to replace your water heater, read this blog post for more information on Tanked vs. Tankless: http://jefftheplumber.blogspot.com/2012/09/tanked-versus-tankless.html

April

It is Daylight-Savings time and you know what that means right?!?! Time to change the batteries on all detectors: smoke, heat, carbon monoxide, gas, etc. This is the perfect time to do it because this happens twice a year. If you get in the habit of changing them bi-annually, you won’t have to hear the obnoxious batteries low noises, or risk your family’s safety.

May

Clean the filters in your house and if necessary replace them. This ensures the cleanest air running through your home. Make sure your pool is ready as well. The kids will be coming home from college or the school year will be ending and the pool will be getting a lot of use as the world warms up.

June

Clean dryer lint. Now I’m not talking about the filter on the dryer, I’m taking about where the dryer meets the wall and outside. The link does not all get collected in the filter and is flammable, so be sure to clean the vent pipes out a few times a month.

July

Replace the filter in your fridge or water softener. Your water may be getting a funky taste or be staining your glasses. It is important to change these filters to keep clean water coming to your families. With summer in full swing, here are some other tips to help save you money and keep your home operating at its finest: http://jefftheplumber.blogspot.com/2012/07/life-is-flush-and-jeff-da-plumber-is.html

August

Repair any cracks outside your home. This could be on the driveway or on the external walls of your house. This protects the foundation and the over safety of your home. Also, clean those shower and sink heads. (Tips for that are described here: http://jefftheplumber.blogspot.com/2012/01/clean-shower-head-for-2012.html)

September

Put away all of your summer stuff. This could be the chairs and tables you have in your backyard, or the grill. If it is something you will be using throughout the year, make sure it is covered. When the rain comes, you do not want everything getting rusted, so take a few minutes to put what you won’t need in a covered storage space.

October

Daylight-Savings time is over and you know what that means?!?! Of course you do !!! It is time to change those batteries again. Also, inspect and clean your fireplace. You can buy special logs to clean the fireplace from most local stores.

November

It is time to look at those air filters again. This is also the time to look for any leaks anywhere in your home. The rain is just starting so you may be able to catch a small leak before it becomes a big problem.

December

Winter is here, and between Thanksgiving and all of the holiday parties, your poor garbage disposal is getting a workout. Give the garbage disposal a good thorough cleaning. Here are some other general tips for winter: http://jefftheplumber.blogspot.com/2011/12/seasonal-tips-for-winter.html

I hope that you find these tips helpful. Again, happy new year from my family to yours. If you have any questions or need help with any of these items, your friendly neighborhood plumber is here to help.

Jeff da Plumber™ (916)481-6593