If you’re like most Canadians, your house isn’t just your home. It’s also your most important investment.
A regular schedule of maintenance and repairs can help you protect that investment for years to come, and keep your family safe and healthy in every season.
This winter, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has a variety of simple tasks you can carry out to put a stop to the most common - and costly - problems before they occur, often in as little as a few minutes a week, including:
• Clean or replace your furnace air filter on a monthly basis.
Ventilation filters, such as those in a heat recovery ventilator, should be checked every two months.
• Clean range hood filters monthly, and humidifiers every one or two months.
• Test the ground fault circuit interrupter(s) each month by pushing
the test button, which should cause the reset button to pop up.
• Regularly check your house for safety hazards such as loose handrails, safety plugs for electrical outlets, lifting or buckling carpets, etc.
• Make sure all indoor and outside air vents are clear of snow and debris.
• Consult your hot water tank owner’s manual, and drain off a dishpan full of water from the clean-out valve at the bottom of the tank to maintain efficiency.
• Vacuum bathroom fan grilles, fire and smoke detectors, and the radiator grilles on the back of refrigerators and freezers. Plus, empty and clean refrigerator drip trays.
• Check the gauge on fire extinguishers, and recharge or replace them if necessary.
• Check fire escape routes, door and window locks and hardware, and the lighting around the outside of your home.
• Refill the basement floor drain if the trap doesn’t have enough water in it, and run water briefly in plumbing fixtures that aren’t used frequently, such as the laundry tub or spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall.
• Monitor your home for condensation on the windows or other signs of excessive moisture, and take corrective action if necessary.
• Check faucets for dripping, and replace washers or make repairs as needed.
• Clean drains in dishwashers, sinks, bathtubs and shower stalls.
• Test plumbing shut-off valves to prevent them from seizing.
• Examine windows and doors for ice accumulation or cold air leaks.
• Examine your attic for frost accumulation, and check the roof surface for ice dams or icicles.
For more information or a free copy of the “About Your House� fact sheet Home Maintenance Schedule and other fact sheets on owning, maintaining or renovating your home, ask CMHC at 1 800 668-2642 or visit our Web site at
www.cmhc.ca.">www.cmhc.ca.">www.cmhc.ca. For over 60 years, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has been Canada’s national housing agency, and a source of objecting, reliable housing expertise.
