A Contributed Post: Energy Efficiency–Essential Winter Maintenance Chores You Can’t Afford to Forget About

Winter is cold, wet, and Christmas aside, sometimes miserable. If anything is going to go wrong in your home, now is when it is most likely to happen. You can’t always avoid problems, but you can minimise the chances of them occurring. Regular maintenance is essential when you are a homeowner. If you rent your home, maintenance is not your responsibility, so you can relax, but if it’s your property, the buck stops with you.

Reliable trades are not always easy to find, so it pays to have a plumber, electrician and heating engineer on speed dial. Websites such as Plentific plumbers are there to make it easy to find a tradesman fast, but if you keep on top of your home maintenance, you probably won’t need them!

Here are a few essential winter maintenance chores you should definitely have in your diary, so read this article to see how well you’re doing.

HVAC Service

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems need an annual service. Servicing is designed to ensure your system is running efficiently and safely, but it will also pick up on any minor problems or potential issues lurking around the corner. By replacing worn out parts before they actually fail, you are saving yourself a lot of pain.

Clear Gutters

Leaves and other debris tend to collect in gutters once fall arrives and the trees begin to shed their leaves. In small amounts, this debris won’t cause a problem, but if you leave it to accumulate, you could end up with blocked gutters and downpipes. Once winter comes and your roof is covered in snow, you’ll end up with water everywhere when that snow melts. Clearing the gutters is also a good opportunity to look for cracks and breaks, which if left will cause damp problems inside the property.

Check the Roof

Always inspect your roof before winter sets in. It is a lot easier to fix a loose shingle or ridge tile when the weather is reasonable, than it is once the roof is icy or covered in snow. Make a visual inspection from the ground and then head up into the attic to look for signs of daylight or pest infestations. If you spot any issues, call an expert to come and take a look.

Lag Outside Pipes

Outside pipes are vulnerable to freezing temperatures. Check existing pipe lagging and replace if it’s worn.

Winterise the Pool

Swimming pools are great in the summer, but they do need regular maintenance. When fall arrives, it is time to drain the pool or fit a sturdy cover. If you are leaving the water in, add some algaecide. You also need to service the pump and check all pipes and motorised parts. Preparing your pool for winter will ensure you can use it again come spring.

Other jobs include checking windows and doors for signs of wear and tear, clipping back vegetation in the garden, and giving the lawn one final cut before winter.