Holiday Home Maintenance Tasks

Now that the holidays are upon us, there is a lot of time spent in the kitchen. There's Thanksgiving and Christmas meals to cook, cookies and pies to bake, and lots of holiday treats to make! All that cooking can put a strain on your appliances and cookware, so it's a good idea to keep them in good shape so they perform for you.

 Maintain Large Appliances 

Appliances are a big long-term investment!  That’s why it’s important to take good care of them all year long.

Get Your Furnace Tuned Up

After a summer and fall where the furnace doesn't need to work very hard, the sudden drop in temperatures means your furnace is working overtime keeping your home warm. If it has any maintenance issues, this is probably when it will decide to stop working. At the same time, furnace repair businesses are being overwhelmed by calls for service when this happens, so you might end up shivering in the house for quite a while before a service tech can get to you. In addition, if you have your furnace serviced before it 'gives up the ghost', it could end up being less costly. Not only do furnace repair firms charge a premium when the demand is high, but the furnace might cause additional damage as its parts breakdown and damage other parts of the appliance.

Check the Refrigerator

Your refrigerator is a great place to start.  Accumulating dust can make your fridge cooling system less efficient. To prevent trouble, regularly pull the fridge away from the wall and clean the condenser coils with a vacuum cleaner.  It’s also a good idea to dust and clean the front lower grill.  This five-minute task can add years of service to your refrigerator! Check around the refrigerator to make sure you're not leaking coolant. And make sure the doors close tight and the seals aren't cracked or loose. If refrigerated air is escaping it forces your refrigerator to continually run and wear out prematurely.

Clean The Oven & Stove Drip Pan

Next move on to your stove.  It’s another appliance that needs a good regular cleaning to keep it working well. After the holidays are over, it's a good time to clean the dried food that has spilled over onto the floor of the oven. Many ovens have a self cleaning feature that will do the hard work for you.

The only problem?  It can take a while to run the cleaning feature and it usually smells pretty bad while it’s running.  Save this task for a nice day and open up the windows to keep it well ventilated.  Check your stove manual for instructions  and take a few minutes to clean the burners, too. 

Have Problem Trees Trimmed

Cold, rainy weather has arrived. Have you noticed any large branches hanging over onto your roof?  Get them trimmed as soon as possible.  In the Northwest it's not unusual for the constant rain to mix with a cold front and cause a big ice storm. The ice clings to branches, weighing them down. This can cause the branches to break onto your roof or car, leading to more damage and insurance claims. 

Save on Home Insurance

Homeowners Insurance is an important part of protecting your home and belongings.  To make sure you have the best coverage, call SAV-ON today at 888-867-2866 for a free, no-obligation quote. And have a wonderful holiday season!