Category: Ogre Home: Tips & Advice

Home Maintenance is Essential to a Functional Home Your home should be your sanctuary, your pride and joy — a place where you can relax while enjoying time with loved ones. It doesn’t have to be big and fancy, and it doesn’t need a pool or play house. But it does need to work the way you want it to when you need it to. What’s the best way to ensure your home, potentially the most expensive thing you’ll ever purchase, works properly? The answer is simple: home maintenance. To better explain the importance and impact of this concept, we brought in some experts from two of our strategic partners. Serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area: Casey Simpson, Service Manager, Milestone Serving the Greater Houston area: Joe Bany, Director, Field Operations, John Moore Services A Comprehensive Solution Home maintenance is multi-faceted, and can be overwhelming for new and experienced homeowners. Casey has worked in home services since 1982, and he spends each day training and interacting with Milestone technicians. Casey compares the homeowner experience to owning a car, saying they both need to be maintained properly. “There's a life expectancy for the equipment in your home,” Casey says. “The same can be said for a new car — it doesn’t stay new forever. If you neglect the maintenance, especially simple repairs like an oil change or air filter, you’ll eventually have catastrophic results.” This lack of understanding costs countless homeowners thousands of dollars each year, according to Casey. To ensure your home is functioning properly, you must first determine whether your plumbing, HVAC system, and other household features are in good condition. Even if you have a leaky pipe or an under-performing AC, fixing that problem before it worsens can save you a lot of money and trouble. Therefore, there are two approaches you can take: the proactive approach or the “wait-and-see” approach. Typically, those who prefer the latter literally and metaphorically pay the price. These reactive homeowners often have to replace their hot water heater or HVAC system because they neglected to maintain it over the years. Metaphorically speaking, they chose not to use a simple bandage and now surgery is needed. What You Should Look Out For Joe, who has extensive experience in the home services industry, educates John Moore technicians and homeowners daily about taking a proactive approach to their home maintenance. These potential maintenance issues listed below are common. Plumbing Hot water heater: Over time, sediment builds up in these appliances, causing the heater to use more electricity. In fact, the average hot water heater can accumulate more than a pound and a half of sediment each year. The buildup will eventually create problems for the appliance, drastically reducing its life expectancy. Also, the heating elements can go bad or lose potency. This will lead to a decreased amount of hot water for your home. Pipes: Obviously a leaking faucet wastes water and money. So it’s important to make sure all faucets are working properly. In the winter, homeowners should be mindful of the damage freezing temperatures can cause to exterior pipes. In the summer, homeowners should be mindful of leaky sprinklers or garden hoses. Drains: Be mindful of what goes down the sink in your home, especially the kitchen and bathrooms. Greasy or oily substances can clog drains, causing water to back up in other parts of your home. Similarly, only toilet-friendly materials should be flushed down the toilet. HVAC Leaking AC: When an AC leaks, the water damage can be substantial. It can affect sheetrock, ceilings, and furniture, and whatever other material the water touches. Annual checkups can prevent and recognize leaks before they even begin or worsen! Clogged air filter: An AC cannot properly function when the filter is clogged! A clogged filter forces the AC to work harder, which consumes more electricity and forces dirty, unfiltered air into the home. When this happens, homeowners are paying more for less cool air that can be unsafe to breathe. Corrosion: If AC wires are exposed to moisture, they can corrode, which can cause the HVAC system to turn on and off on its own. Corrosion forces your system to work harder, and may ultimately lead to a broken system. Electrical Electrical panel: As with any aspect of a home, no appliance or part is made to last forever. Electricity panels are no different. Since electricity constantly moves through the panel, the different breakers can become loose over time. This can create unwanted heat, which can turn into an electrical fire. Outlet: If an outlet is constantly being used, it may become loose or wobbly. This lack of stability can lead to an electrical fire. Pest Control Pest Control: Many people overlook the importance of regular pest control. Instead, they rely on addressing the pests after they’ve entered the house rather than keeping them out in the first place. It’s essential for homeowners to have consistent, possibly even monthly, sprayings to protect their homes and loved ones. Who You Gonna Call? This Time, The Answer is Not Ghostbusters... If you would like to address any of these aforementioned issues or anything that may not be mentioned, then please consult a trusted home services company. If you live outside of the DFW or Houston areas, there are many trusted companies that can service your needs. But Milestone and John Moore are eager to help if you live in either Dallas and Houston respectively. Both are committed to delivering high-quality home services in a variety of areas. As a result, both companies offer satisfaction guarantees to their customers. We can confidently say you’ll get amazing service and value for your money using either company! Other articles: -How to Apply for PUC's COVID-19 Emergency Relief Program -How to Get the Best Electricity Plan In Texas -Seeing The Future: Your Electricity Renewal Cycle is Important

Category: Ogre Home: Tips & Advice

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