HomeKeepr Blog

Spring is here, so that means it’s time to start getting ready for the months ahead. Chances are you’re looking forward to being outdoors, maybe firing up the grill, planting a garden, or spending some quality time in the pool. Before you get down to the business of enjoying the nice weather, though, there are a few things that need to be taken care of first. That’s right: It’s time to knock out some home maintenance tasks to make sure everything is ready for the changing weather.

It may still be just barely spring, but summer is right around the corner. For a lot of homeowners, that means flipping the heat to air conditioning, and, potentially, discovering that their air conditioner isn’t working properly. This is why it’s so important to check your air conditioning system now, before you really need it. Not only will you be able to beat the rush for repairs, you’ll also get extra time to clean and prep your unit so it can perform at its very best all summer long. So when - and how - should you get that A/C ready for summer?

A garbage disposal can be a great addition to your kitchen. If it isn’t taken care of correctly, though, the blades can dull or rust over time, and the overall effectiveness of the disposal will drop significantly. With proper care and maintenance, you can add years to the effective life of your garbage disposal. Perhaps more importantly, the care that you put into your disposal now will pay off in the long term by helping to prevent costly repairs and the premature replacement of your disposal unit.

Leaks in your home can be a major problem. This is especially the case if leaks occur while you’re away from home or happen in places that you can’t easily access. While some leaks can be prevented before they happen with proper maintenance, there’s always the possibility that you’ll have a leak even if you keep your sinks and pipes in good shape. So what can you do?

Having a pest infestation is no fun, but it’s not an uncommon problem for a homeowner to experience, especially in transition times like from fall to winter or from winter into spring. Many pests come indoors seeking warmth from bitter temperatures in the late fall, stow away all winter, and then become active again as spring sets in. Others come indoors and remain active throughout their occupancy. In older homes, especially, it can be tricky to decide if you’ve got a pest problem or just a creaky old house and an active imagination, but it’s easier when you know some of the most common signs of pests.

Your water heater is an important part of your home, especially if you have a family. Between cooking, cleaning, doing dishes, washing clothes, washing hands, and all the other things you use hot water for throughout the day, knowing that your water heater can handle your needs is vital. If your trusty old water heater has seen better days, it may be time to look for a replacement. Chances are a lot has changed in water heaters since yours was installed, though, so here are some of the more recent advancements in water heaters that you should know about.

Oh, baby, it’s cold outside… and inside, too, if you’re standing close to a drafty window, door, or mysterious source of outside air. Persistent drafts are funny things. They can be massive pains when the wind blows just right, and almost unnoticeable when it’s still, making it both difficult to locate the problem, and hard to keep front of mind as you go about the rest of your week. But if you’ve got a persistent draft, transient or not, this can be the year you solve it. You’ll also save yourself a bundle in home heating and cooling costs throughout the year, so bonus.

When the last of the brightly colored leaves cling tightly to otherwise bare trees, you know that winter is coming. It’s a sad state of affairs, but happens every year, just like clockwork. The sleet, the snow, the ice, the cold, it all comes in a cycle, and because of that, you need to be paying particular attention to your furnace this time of year. Even if it hasn’t yet started raining down frozen apocalypse upon your head where you live, being ready for the day you’ll have to kick the heat on is a good idea. After all, you don’t want to find out that your furnace isn’t working properly when there’s a foot of snow in the forecast.

While the fall has been mild and even warm in many areas, it’s important to realize that winter is right around the corner. There’s no way to tell what the winter might hold, and even if you don’t see much in the way of snow and ice you can still run into some problems if your home isn’t ready for cold winter temperatures. To make sure that you’re as ready as possible for whatever the winter might have in store, here are some things to consider as you make your winterization plans.