As you go about your annual spring cleaning ritual, it's a great time to knock out a few routine home maintenance tasks and take care of any small home improvements or repairs that have been nagging you for awhile. Keeping up with home maintenance pays off in the long run in the form of lower energy bills and preventing big-ticket repairs later.Here are 20 things for you (or the handyman) to tackle now to help prepare your home for the warmer months ahead and keep it in top shape.
For about $75 to $200, a technician will tune up your cooling system to manufacturer-rated efficiency — and you won’t sweat the first hot weekend with an out-of-commission air conditioner.Look for a heating and air conditioning contractor that belongs to the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, employs technicians certified by the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) program and follows the protocol for the ACCA's national standard for residential maintenance. You can also call your electric utility to see whether it offers incentives like rebates or credit for keeping your HVAC system maintained.Quick Tip: Dirty filters make your air conditioner work harder, increasing energy costs and possibly damaging your equipment. Check them monthly and clean or replace them as needed — or at least every three months.
