Essential Pre-Christmas Home Maintenance Checks
With Christmas just around the corner, there is a lot to think about. From ordering the turkey and wrapping the presents to baking mince pies and carol singing. However, it is important not to forget to keep on top of the practical things.
Whilst you may be incredibly busy organising Christmas, it is essential that you keep on top of your home maintenance. It may not be the most festive of tasks, but keeping your home working well is vital, especially as contractor prices can rise significantly over the Christmas period.
For our quick, easy guide to pre-Christmas home maintenance, follow the handy tips below:
Check your oven
A few weeks before Christmas make sure to give your oven a once over. Check that each of its settings is working well, and there are no faults
Check the devices fuse, to ensure that it is working well. A faulty fuse can lead to all sorts of oven problems, including no power, a reduced amount of power or overheating. If your fuse looks loose or old, it may be worth buying new one to keep as a spare. To get an idea of the cost of a replacement fuse, visit a website or store that stocks Whirlpool parts for all models.
The last thing you want on Christmas day is a faulty oven – goodbye turkey dinner. That’s why it is essential that you keep on top of your cooker’s maintenance in the lead up to Christmas.
Check your fridge
Make sure to check that your fridge and freezer are both working well. Otherwise, you may end up wasting lots of yummy Christmas food. It is surprising how quickly a fridge can start to go wrong, so it is essential that you check it regularly.
If too much pressure is put on the fridges motor, it can overwork it and shorten the devices life. Pressure on the engine can be caused by factors such as leaving the door open for extended periods of time. So, make sure to only open the fridge’s door when necessary.
Give the coils at the back of your fridge a vacuum. You may not realise it, but dusty or dirty coils can lead to your refrigerator having to work harder and use more energy. This not only puts pressure on the devices motor but also increases your energy bills.
Ensure your heating is working properly
There is nothing worse than being cold, except being cold on Christmas day. So, make sure to check that your heating is working properly. It is better to fix it or get someone else to fix it before Christmas, as otherwise you may incur a hefty bill.
If you haven’t used your heating yet this winter, turn it on and let it heat up. Go around to each radiator and check that it has heated up correctly and is not making a hissing noise. A hissing noise can indicate that your radiators need to be bled, for this you will need to buy a bleed key. These can be brought for a low cost from home stores and DIY sites. Bleeding your radiators is easy to do and doesn’t take too much time, so don’t be tempted to put it off.
If you find that your radiators fail to heat up, this could be because they need bleeding. However, if they still fail to warm after being bled, there may be another problem. Radiators can be quite complicated, so it may be best to call a plumber to deal with it. Otherwise, you may end up doing more damage than good.