Fall Home Appliances Checklist
Unbeknownst to many homeowners, appliances often require annual or seasonal maintenance. Many don’t know that a hot water tank is recommended to be flushed at least every 6 months at min and ideally every 3 months, and believe it or not more if water is extremely hard. The furnace, too, can have both significant energy savings and increased longevity simply by annual maintenance. Here’s a full list of home appliance maintenance if you want them to last as long as possible:
- Hot Water Heater
- Flushing the sediment
- Check for leaks
- Furnace
- Annual Maintenance
- Change Filter
- Check for air leaks
- Air Conditioner
- Switch the thermostat from air to heating
- Remove Leaves & Debris on exterior portion
- Clean & Cover exterior portion
- Duct System
- Duct Cleaning (every 3-5 years, or more if sensitive to dust dander microbes etc)
- Duct Sanitization
- Water Softener
- Resin cleaner / rust cleaner application
- Check for bridging (where salt becomes solid block underneath the top salt)
- Check for leaks especially around the shutoff valves
- Heat Pump
- Filter Change- cleaning/vacuum on inside unit
- Check for debris removal on outside condenser unit
- Clothes Dryer
- check for vent blockage
- washing the lint screen – removal and wash under hot water where applicable
- check back connections to the vent hose exhaust
- Washing machine
- Service the gunk clean out reservoir
- General tub cleaner – special for clothes washing machine to clean out old soap and lint etc.
- Refrigerator
- vacuum back of fridge
- de-ice venting inside (see manual that came with machine)
- Dishwasher
- de-gunk/scaling cleaner (some people use vinegar or specified product made for dishwashers)
- Central Vac
- Gas fireplace
- check igniters
- clean cobwebs
- replace backup fan batteries in both the stove and the remote where applicable
- Defrosting Chest Freezer
- Built up ice can compromise the seal and be problematic
- Bathroom vent cleaning
Other things to Consider
- Smoke Detectors / Co2 Detectors
- change batteries
- test operation
- Automatic door lock
- check batteries for corrosion
- Lawnmower
- clean out all debris, grass and dirt from underside of deck
- have a service sharpen the blades
- if a metal lawnmower deck – does it need to be painted/rust proofed?
- Storing the Barbecue
- Clean grills
- Clean burners & covers
- Wipe down outside
- Find a Good Cover
- Safe Place for tank storage
- Cleaning chimney
- Calling the chimney sweep company earlier (ie August) is recommended to book appointments before the snow flies.
- Caulking windows
- Some caulking may have dried out or cracked and need to be replaced
- Window sealing kit for drafty windows where it is not an escape route
- Gutter cleaning
- Have a service remove debris and leaves
- Check downspouts to ensure they are not clogged
- Check for leaks in the eaves troughs after a rain
- Is water is pouring over the eaves troughs during heavy rain? If so, determine cause, sometimes it is clogs other reasons can be the roof pitch, and additional eaves trough basins are needed, especially where the roof is v-shaped.
- Turning off outside water mains that connect to the outside water taps (not the mains for the dwelling)
The greater fall home appliance checklist you can manage consistently every year, the longer your appliances will generally last, with potentially great savings in the long term. Canaduct Cleaning can take care of some of the items on your list that would be hard to do on your own for example: duct cleaning, furnace maintenance, dryer and fan ducts. You can call us directly at: 416-410-3777 or through the contact form on the right side of this page.
