What should a home maintenance checklist include in Middle Tennessee?

Why does routine maintenance prevent so much damage?

What should you check every month?

• Test every smoke alarm by pressing its test button. The U.S. Fire Administration says to test smoke alarms every month.
• Test carbon monoxide alarms the same day. NFPA says to test them at least once a month, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission says they belong on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas.
• Clean the dryer's lint filter before and after every load, as the U.S. Fire Administration's dryer safety flyer recommends, and never run the dryer without the filter in place.
• Look under sinks, behind the washer and dishwasher, and around the base of the water heater for drips, stains, or rust. Slow leaks are the ones that run for months before anyone notices.

What should you do in the fall, before the first freeze?

1. 1

   Clean the dryer vent, not just the filter

   NFPA's dryer safety sheet says to clean lint out of the vent pipe once a year, or more often if clothes are taking longer than normal to dry. While you are back there, check that the vent is not crushed or kinked and that the outdoor flap opens when the dryer runs. If the dryer runs on gas, NFPA also says to have a qualified professional inspect it to make sure the gas line and connection are intact and free of leaks. Fall is a sensible time: in USFA data from 2008 to 2010, residential dryer fires were more common in fall and winter and peaked in January.

2. 2

   Clear gutters and check the downspouts

   Clean out leaves and debris, and make sure each downspout sends water at least 3 to 4 feet away from the foundation, as IBHS recommends. The EPA adds that the ground around the house should slope away from the foundation so water does not collect there.

3. 3

   Shut down the outdoor faucets

   Disconnect, drain, and store garden hoses. The American Red Cross recommends closing the indoor valve that feeds each outdoor faucet, then opening the faucet outside so the line can drain, and leaving it open so any water left inside has room to expand without breaking the pipe. IBHS adds that homes built before 2010 typically do not have frost-proof outdoor faucets, and that faucets without that protection should be insulated as well. Nashville's Metro Water Services also recommends covering outdoor spigots in cold weather.

4. 4

   Close the crawl space vents

   Metro Water Services advises closing crawl space vents in cold weather to protect the pipes underneath. If your home sits on a crawl space, the supply lines running through it are exposed to whatever the outside air is doing.

5. 5

   Find and test your main water shut-off valve

   Metro Water Services says the valve may be in the basement, under the kitchen sink, in a utility closet, near the water heater, or under the house in the crawl space. Once you find it, test it. If you cannot find it, or the house does not have one, Metro Water recommends calling a plumber, and notes that it cannot respond to private plumbing problems itself.

6. 6

   Check the age of your smoke alarms

   Check the manufacture date on each alarm. The U.S. Fire Administration says smoke alarms need to be replaced 10 years from that date, not from when you bought them.

What should you watch for in winter?

What should you do in the spring?

1. 1

   Test the sump pump before the spring rains

   NDSU Extension describes a simple test. First make sure the discharge pipe outside is not plugged and carries water away from the house. Then pour water into the pit until the float turns the pump on, or, if the pit is dry, lift the float for about 10 seconds. Make sure the pump turns on and off at least twice. FEMA's flood guidance for homeowners points out that a sump pump will not run when the power is out unless battery storage or a generator is behind it, which matters most in exactly the storms that fill the pit.

2. 2

   Inspect the washing machine hoses

   Look for bulges, cracks, and drips at the fittings. GE Appliances and Whirlpool both recommend replacing washer fill hoses every five years, and GE's guidance covers its braided stainless steel hoses too. Write the install date on the new hose with a marker so the next replacement is not a guess.

3. 3

   Drain or flush the water heater

   The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Savers guide recommends draining a quart of water from the tank every three months to remove sediment, following the manufacturer's directions. Manufacturers such as Rheem recommend a full flush at least once a year, and more often with hard water. Rheem's first step is to turn off the electricity or gas and the cold water inlet, and it says to run the drain hose to a container or area the hot water will not damage. The water drains out hot, so keep clear of the end of the hose. Rheem's last steps refill the tank with the hot water taps open, and the electricity or gas goes back on only once water is flowing from them. If you are unsure about handling the gas or electrical parts, Rheem suggests calling a professional.

4. 4

   Clear the gutters again

   Spring storms bring down a second round of debris. A gutter that overflows dumps roof water right at the foundation.

What should you do in summer, when humidity is the problem?

• Keep indoor humidity below 60 percent, and ideally between 30 and 50 percent, as the EPA recommends; the CDC sets a stricter ceiling of 50 percent. The EPA notes that a humidity meter costs about $10 to $50 at many hardware stores.
• Keep the air conditioner draining. The EPA says to keep drip pans clean and drain lines flowing, and the Department of Energy's home cooling guide suggests occasionally passing a stiff wire through the unit's drain channels to prevent clogs, and checking the evaporator coil every year.
• Look at the crawl space. The Department of Energy's building science guidance says moisture in crawl spaces can promote mold and rot along the floor joists, and recommends covering the crawl space floor with polyethylene sheeting of at least 6 mil, sealed to the walls and piers, whether the crawl space is vented or not.
• Dry anything that gets wet, fast. A leak dried within 24 to 48 hours usually does not turn into mold, per the EPA. If it already has, our guide to whether bleach kills mold explains what works.

How often should you replace alarms, hoses, and water heaters?

Is a water leak detector worth it?

What maintenance mistakes lead to water and fire damage?

• Cleaning the lint filter but never the vent duct. The duct is where lint collects out of sight, and failure to clean is the leading factor in dryer fires.
• Leaving a garden hose connected over the winter. IBHS says to remove, drain, and store hoses before freezing weather.
• Assuming braided steel washer hoses last forever. GE recommends replacing its stainless steel hoses every five years as well.
• Changing smoke alarm batteries but keeping alarms past 10 years old.
• Learning where the main shut-off valve is while water is already on the floor.
• Treating a damp crawl space as normal. Moisture there can feed mold and rot in the floor framing above it.