How minor home maintenance can save you big-time in the long run

PEORIA, AZ (AZFamily) — Bob Morrison has lived in his home and loved it for 18 years. “I didn’t really realize how much time I spent on the house until I retired in January,” he said. “Everybody says, ‘How is retirement?’ I say, ‘I don’t know. I’m working on something every single day!’”

Morrison is a cost-conscious homeowner who regularly maintains everything. Air filters top the to-do list. “Religiously, almost every 30 days, they all get replaced,” he said. You should do the same thing in your home.

According to the Department of Energy, replacing a dirty filter can cut your air conditioner’s energy consumption by five to fifteen percent.

There are a few other places around the home where regular maintenance can save you in the long run. On Your Side walked through Morrison’s house with experts from APES HVAC and Plumbing. Juan Edeza recommends cleaning the appliance’s coils.

“Blow air into them and just keep the area around them clear,” he said. “It will reduce your energy bill, and obviously keep the appliance running longer.”

In the bathroom, clean the exhaust fan for proper airflow, too. “You can actually just pull it off,” Edeza said. It has tabs on it. Once you pull it off, you just clean it with a vacuum or a brush.”

In the kitchen, the garbage disposal could cost you if you put too many food scraps down the drain. “That’s going to lead to a lot of backups, bad odors in the drains, and then when your drain just stops going because you’ve built up all that food in your drain, you have to call in a plumber to come out and snake that. That can cost over $200,” said Anthony Cagle.

Cagle recommends regularly cleaning the garbage disposal and running plenty of water when it is used to ensure scraps are washed out to the main line.

One more often neglected appliance is the water heater. Cagle says it should be flushed once a year. “Sediment inside of it, even just an eighth of an inch of sediment can make it have to work 70% more, so it’s using 70% more energy just heat the water inside,” he said.

Look for leaks around the water heater, too. “Like on this water heater here, you can see there’s a little leak on this valve, so that valve should be replaced because you’re losing little drops of water, but it’s going to add up over time and cause potential water damage and cost you a lot more,” Cagle explained.

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