If you only do five maintenance tasks for your home during the month of February here are the ones that we suggest that you do, that will help you save energy, reduce the risk of unscheduled repairs, and will help extend the useful lives of several major household appliances.

Washing Machine Inspection

Your washing machine works hard for you. It shakes, it spins, and it sometimes operates using very hot water. So it's not surprising that connections for your water hoses can become loose and begin to leak, and the hoses themselves can become damaged and worn out and burst. And when your washer’s connections or hoses begin to leak, you can find yourself faced with flooding in your home. And if your washing machine is located on the second floor, this flooding can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your home. So during the month of February we suggest you take a minute to inspect the hoses and connections around your washing machine.

Garbage Disposal Care

If you have a garbage disposal in your home, there are a couple of things that you can do to keep to keep it running smoothly, odor-fee and safely. The first is that from time-to-time you can grind up ice cubes in your disposal. As odd as it sounds, by grinding up ice in your garbage disposal it both sharpens the blades and it removes built-up gunk that can lead to foul-smelling odors. The other thing that's important to do routinely is to inspect the rubber splash guard, to be sure it is completely intact and will prevent any food from flying out while the unit is operating.

Rotating Your Mattresses

And the last of the five tasks that we suggest that you do for February, is to rotate or flip your mattresses. Routinely rotating and flipping your mattresses will help them to last longer and feel more comfortable. So every three months you either rotate or flip your mattress: the first time rotate it from head to toe, and the next time flip it over from side to side. This is typically two-person job, but it can add years to the life and comfort of your mattresses.

Caring for Your Water Heater

Your water heater is very expensive to replace, and for most homes it consumes about 14% of the total energy used in your home. As such, it is important to do routine maintenance to help your water heater last longer, and to maintain its operating energy efficiency. One of the most important things you can do routinely for your water heater is to routinely “back flush" your water heater. Here is a short video that explains why, how and when you should back flush your water heater: Water Heater Care

Ways to Reduce Energy Costs This Winter

Even though the winter is half over, there are still some things you can do to reduce your energy costs that either don't cost any money at all to do, or are of low enough cost that will pay for themselves during the current winter. In case you missed it last month, you can find a list of these easy energy-savers items in our article: 6 Low or No-Cost Ways to Save Energy This Winter.

SUMMARY

We hope this article has helped you understand the top five maintenance tasks for your home for the month of February, that will help you save energy, reduce the risk of unscheduled repairs, and will help extend the useful lives of your major household features.