subject: Maintenance Can Prevent Some Repairs [print this page] Standing on the steps of your new home and looking inside just before you bring all those moving boxes in is such a wonderful, awesome feeling. There is so much potential in a new home, a chance to make new memories and new traditions, new quirks to discover and love, and new spacing issues to work out. Not to mention finding places to hang all you pictures and places to put that painted spoon collection.
All in all, a new home is a wonderful experience, but there are some aspects of it that are never a fun surprise. Things like finding out the faucet in the second bathroom needs repairs, or the outside water pipe froze last winter because it was not drained, that the attic needs more insulation, a certain amount of repairs should be expected, but that does not make them any more fun.
Repairs can be expensive too, and while some people pay insurance every month to make sure those get taken care of, not everyone can. Not everyone can afford those repairs either, so regular checking and proper care of your house can reduce the bill. Yes, it will take time out of your already busy schedule, but it will be totally worth it when you do not have to take money out of your already thin wallet.
Some simple things to do are check the faucets for leaking. Catching a leak early can prevent extensive damage, and most Home Depots have instructions on how to change a faucet if a leak is really bad. If it is not a bad leak, some simple faucet repairs can be made, but some require a plumber to look at them.
Frozen pipes can be avoided by keeping the house at a temperature so that the COLDEST locations are a minimum of 65. The thermostat does not read the whole house, just a specific location, so taping a cheap thermometer under the kitchen sink and in the utility room or basement where the pipes are at will give you a good reading to set your thermostat by. Outdoor pipes are a little trickier, and should be shut off, then drained before a freeze sets in to keep them from bursting.
There are also things for maintaining the freezer and fridge, the floors and doors, but in general, those involve a contractor, not a plumber, so we don't have much for that. Have a wonderful Holliday season!
