Spring maintenance tips for the home

Milder days offer a prime opportunity for spring cleaning and home maintenance. After a long winter, be sure to spend some time on preventive measures that will help maintain your home and property all year long. From cleaning out your gutters and checking for dead trees and branches, to cleaning and inspecting your home mechanical systems such as your heating and air conditioning equipment, we offer ways to help make spring a season of safety.

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Inside Your Home

• Check your electrical outlets for potential fire hazards, such as frayed wires or loose-fitting plugs. Make sure outlets, fuse boxes and extension cords are not overloaded.
• Move your multi-purpose fire extinguisher to an accessible place, and make sure it is filled and ready for operation.
• Have your air-conditioning system inspected by a professional as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Check your water heater for leaks and corrosion.
• Clean or replace your furnace filter.
• Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct and space under the dryer. Remove all lint, dust, and pieces of material.
• Inspect your smoke detectors. Make sure there is one on each floor of your home. Test them monthly, and change the batteries annually or as needed.
• Check the light bulbs in all your fixtures. Be sure they are the correct wattage as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Replace all high-intensity bulbs with fluorescent bulbs. Other types of bulbs, like incandescent, produce more heat than fluorescent bulbs.

Outside Your Home

• Check for damage to your roof.
• Clean gutters and downspouts to keep debris from accumulating.
• Remove dead trees in your yard.
• Keep healthy trees and bushes trimmed and away from utility wires.
• Safely store oil and gas for lawn equipment and tools in a vented, locked area.
• Repair cracked, broken or uneven driveways and walkways to provide a level walking surface.