Small Leaks

One of Benjamin Franklin's more famous quote's is that "a small leak will sink a great ship." Although your house will not sink it can certainly suffer a great deal of damage from water leaks. Being vigilant about inspecting water hoses and seals will save a great deal of damage later.

The usual suspects? Sinks, washing machines, refrigerators, toilets, water heaters and dish washers. Aside from sinks each of the other suspects has a small water supply hose. If the hose is plastic replace it every 2 years and think about upgrading to a braided stainless steel hose. The stainless steel version will only need to be replaced every 5 years and is also much better at preventing catastrophic leaks.

State Farm estimates about $150 million dollars in damage is done annually to homes in Canada and the US due to bursting hoses. A new hose only costs five to ten dollars. A small price to pay compared to water damage repair costs.

Microwave added to House Items List

Another appliance has been added to Home Maintenance Tracker - the microwave.

Maintenance for microwaves focus on keeping the unit clean. Aside from the usual cleaning a couple deep cleanings should take place each year. Left over particles of food and stains will absorb energy while the microwave is operating and can also leave burns.

Start by cleaning away debris and easy to remove stains with a paper towel and general cleaner. Remove the rotating tray and scrub with soapy water. The tray may also be able to go in the dish washer. Use a heavy duty degreaser made for microwave ovens to remove any remaining stains and burned on spills.

http://www.homemaintenancetracker.com/index.php?content=shownews&date=2011-06-24

Weatherstripping

If a proper seal is not formed around any outside doors, air will leak resulting in lost energy. Periodically inspect the weatherstripping around around any doors leading to outside. Hold your hand near the edges or doors to feel for air movement. Another method, which is even better, is to light a stick of incense and hold it near the edge of the door. If the smoke does not rise straight up, there is an air leak.


Replace any damaged weatherstripping. Extra weatherstripping may be required to create a good seal.

HMT for Apartments and Condos Too

HMT was designed with a focus on the everyday house but it still works very well for apartments and condos too. While apartment dwellers might not be concerned about the longevity of appliances, keeping them well maintained will help save money in utility bills. To this same point is always a good idea to monitor energy loss through doors and windows too. And some items should be tested regularly for general safety (eg smoke detectors).

Be sure to specify when registering which type of residence you currently occupy. And also send feedback if there are other items you would like to see added to the 'House Items List' and 'Resources'. HMT is constantly monitoring user input to continually improve.

And last but not least, log in weekly to find see HMT news and energy tips to help you save!

Home Maintenace Tracker up and running

HMT (Home Maintenance Tracker) went live on the web at 8:00am today!

What is HMT? It is a free, easy to use website for keeping up with home maintenance. After registering and setting up a profile, users can enter all of the items they would like HMT to track. HMT will then update the task list when it is time to perform maintenance.

Keeping appliances well maintained can help save money through energy efficiency, fewer repairs and fewer service calls. Not sure how to perform a task? No problem. Simply visit the resources page for videos and instructions.