Home maintenance chores

[BOBOT]

What sort of routine maintenance do you do on a regular schedule? I'm thinking of things like changing A/C filters, draining & flushing water heater, water treatment system, etc.

We tend to ignore things until they fail; I would like to do better.

[freebird5825]

I have a septic system, so each month I drop a little baggie of dehydrated critters down the toilet to keep things well populated.
I treat my sinks with a similar compound (dissolved in water first) to chew on any buildup in the drain pipes. I cannot use caustic chemicals because of the septic system.
I powerwash the steps and decks and lower concrete patio every spring. This year is staining time for the PT steps and deck.
I get the water heater and furnace (both natural gas) serviced every other year.
I use a spot treatment of Roundup on every weed that occurs, especially the ones that grow in cracks.
I put ant repellent (boric acid) around the perimeter of my house foundation every spring.
I set mouse traps in the garage every fall until the temperatures dip down below freezing.
I shovel any melting snow off wooden decks as soon as possible to prevent saturation and warping.

[Accidental Retiree]

We just had our HVAC ductwork cleaned out at each vent, for the first time ever. I think I'd like to do that more often, but I'll see how it works with dust abatement, first.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOBOT ..flushing water heater...

From what I understand, not many people do this. And I heard that unless you do it on a regular basis, you're better off not doing it at all. The idea was that apparently if you don't keep up with it, dislodging the crud in the bottom of you water heater will cause it to fail sooner.

But actually, I was waiting for this thread to ask a related question...

Does anyone here actually replace the sacrificial metal rod in their water heater? I have never done that. I've never even pulled it out and looked at it to see if it needed replacing.

[sengsational]

What about vacuuming the coils under the fridge? I vacuum first with the mondo wet-dry vac, then reverse it and blow under the fridge (DW hates it when I do that, but it makes for an efficient fridge).

[jazz4cash]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational From what I understand, not many people do this. And I heard that unless you do it on a regular basis, you're better off not doing it at all. The idea was that apparently if you don't keep up with it, dislodging the crud in the bottom of you water heater will cause it to fail sooner. But actually, I was waiting for this thread to ask a related question... Does anyone here actually replace the sacrificial metal rod in their water heater? I have never done that. I've never even pulled it out and looked at it to see if it needed replacing.

On my 1st house, the water developed an odor and I learned about replacing the anode rod. That fixed the problem. On house #2 it was never a problem ( and I never flushed the HWH). These were both gas. We bought house #3 new and I never flushed the electric HWH until is was 10 yrs old.....the water ran clear so it did not seem to be necessary. We never replaced the anode rod and switched over to a gas HWH to reduce utility cost.

[heeyy_joe]

I change air filters quarterly and flush water heater annually. Clean gutters annually too.
Quarterly we change the baking soda in the fridge and put some of it in the disposal and the rest in the dishwasher.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazz4cash ..anode rod..

I didn't know if it was cathode or anode, so I opted for a different word altogether

[W2R]

Here's Bob Vila's home maintenance checklist. My house is pretty low maintenance, apparently, since very little on the list applies.

I don't do much regular home maintenance except to change the A/C filters when the mood strikes me. The world has not ended, yet. Sometimes I have my HVAC guy do the semiannual checkup, but more often I don't. I have a termite inspection done annually but I only have extermination of other insects done as needed, which is almost never. I keep all my kitchen and bath drains clear, free running, and clean.

My gutters have never clogged and with gutter guards they run freely and perfectly without cleaning. After Hurricanes Cindy, Katrina and Gustav, I have no more trees in my yard at all anyway, and neither do my neighbors on this formerly shady, tree-lined block.

[FIREd]

Ah the joy of living in an apartment building! No more home maintenance chores. When I lived in a house, chores included:

cleaning the gutters once a year
power washing the driveway, deck, and patio areas once a year
mulching once a year
changing A/C filters once a quarter
cleaning the p-trap for the A/C condenser once a year
covering outdoor faucets in the winter
lubricating garage door components once a year
cleaning up the fireplace once a year
cleaning dryer vent and duct once a year
installing mouse traps in the garage and attic in the spring and in the fall
Replacing batteries in the smoke and CO detectors
changing the direction of the ceiling fans in the winter and in the summer
checking for leaks, rotten wood, pest damage, cracks, etc... all over, once a year
Checking caulk lines on the outside -along doors, windows, etc...- once a year and recaulking as needed
on and on...

[donheff]

Darn. Reminds me that I need to reseal the deck. And DW wants me to trim some tree branches hanging over the garage.

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREd Ah the joy of living in an apartment building! No more home maintenance chores.

Traded in for inconsiderate, noisy neighbors. At least that was usually my bad luck with sharing walls.

In theory I'd love to live in a condo or townhouse... but that noise factor is mostly a showstopper. Maybe it won't be so bad if it were in a 55+ community, but other than that, too many partying young folks with an affinity for loud music and wall-rattling bass always seemed to be my neighbors.

[Semiretired2008]

I have always been told that a whole house filter saves or helps save water heaters, washing machines, etc...

I have used one in my last two homes and change the filters semiannually or as required. I have learned over the years that if the water department has to tap into the lines for maintenance etc. the filter needs to be changed more often so I monitor them monthly.

[Amethyst]

Don't count on it. Some older people like to turn up the TV volume as high as it will go. And the TV is on like 24 hours a day since they never go out. I speak from apartment living experience....

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggy29 In theory I'd love to live in a condo or townhouse... but that noise factor is mostly a showstopper. Maybe it won't be so bad if it were in a 55+ community....

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOBOT What sort of routine maintenance do you do on a regular schedule? I'm thinking of things like changing A/C filters, draining & flushing water heater, water treatment system, etc. We tend to ignore things until they fail; I would like to do better.

To quote Maynard G. Krebs, "Work?"...

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst Don't count on it. Some older people like to turn up the TV volume as high as it will go. And the TV is on like 24 hours a day since they never go out. I speak from apartment living experience....

I will second that...I lived above an older gent who was hard of hearing and addicted to TV, 24/7. My sleep was never good for the year that I lived there.
I attempted to get the superintendent involved, but he could care less as long as the rent was paid.