Homeowner poll: How often do you REALLY do.... xyz

[Anonymous]

How often do you REALLY:

- change your air filters: monthly
- have someone clean your dryer vent: we have a short dryer vent and clean it out ourselves once a year with a vacuum attachment
- clean your AC condenser: we have a contract, they come twice a year
- check/clean your gutters: once a year, we have a lot of trees
- clean your hot water heater: we flush it once a year, does that count?
- change the batteries in your smoke detectors: we check them once a year and change when they start beeping
- other (feel free to add your own)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We clean our gutters once a year.

We don’t do anything else on that list.

You don't change your air filters? That can be a costly mistake- your HVAC will freeze if the filter is too dirty.

Her hubby does all the home stuff, because she's too dumb and helpless to do anything house related. She's just good for popping out babies and putting a casserole in the oven.

[Anonymous]

- change your air filters: once a year (and they are usually almost totally clean)
- have someone clean your dryer vent: every 5 years? maybe?
- clean your AC condenser: I assume our HVAC company does this when they service it...?
- check/clean your gutters: professional cleaning twice a year, check and DIY clean much more frequently when a lot of helicopters or leaves are falling
- clean your hot water heater: literally never
- change the batteries in your smoke detectors: when they chirp

[Anonymous]

Air filters: six months

Dryer vent: once. Had someone do it after living in house for six years and they were surprised to find very little lint.

AC: annually. System is over 20 years old so service it annually.

Gutters: never in seven years. We have guards but see some sticks coming out of them. Maybe I’ll do it at some point.

Water heater: never in seven years. Someone checked it recently due to a separate water issue and said it was working fine.

Fire detectors: Fairfax city had a program a couple years ago where the fire dept replaced them for free. I did that and haven’t had any chirping since.

[Anonymous]

change your air filters - monthly
- have someone clean your dryer vent - why would I need someone to do this simple thing for me. About twice a year.
- clean your AC condenser - never
- check/clean your gutters- maybe 4 times a year
- clean your hot water heater-clean it? What do you mean, clean it. I tap the valve at the bottom about every 6 months to remove any sediment in the tank. I never clean the tank.
- change the batteries in your smoke detectors - these days you replace the whole thing every ten years.
- other (feel free to add your own) De-worm outdoor cat every two months.
Change car air filter every 5000 miles or so, same as oil change, change cabin filter yearly, same as wiper blades. Clean filter in big a$$ dehumidifier every 6 months. Trim branches of huge Kwanzan cherry blossom trees every three years or so. Just makes it grow bigger.

[Anonymous]

This past weekend, I:

- hosed down/cleaned the AC condenser (once a year)
- cleaned the overflow discharge tube thing with the brush (2-3x a year)
- cleaned the filer in the washing machine (1-2x a year)
- cleaned the dishwasher filter (every 3 months, but our dishwasher doesn't get used much)

The last 3 are things that most don't know they should be doing. And if anyone has other suggestions, please let me know!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have smoke/CO2 detectors that take replaceable batteries, they should be changed twice yearly when you set the clock back and forward for DST.

When they are beeping they are already operating sub-optimally and could fail to alarm in a fire. Something like 70% of American house fires involve disabled or malfunctioning detectors.

I’m paranoid about house fires since I was a kid and a neighbor died in one. These are the best detectors on the market according to my research - very unlikely to bother with false (cooking, steam) alarms and have built in batteries that last a decade. https://www.universalsecuritystore.com/store/category/smoke-detectors-and-fire-alarms.htm?gclid=Cj0KCQiAkeSsBhDUARIsAK3tieeVwYQJ8ejVqATO75leaDZn3QIjCqtunNBZJ0Fvw3Ug0MamBXMGC3oaAp7AEALw_wcB

I’m always mind boggled by people’s neglect of smoke detectors. Such a relatively cheap thing that can save your life.

I do not worry about our smoke detectors because all we have to do to test them is cook bacon. If I make bacon without turning on all fans and opening a window and the smoke alarms doesn't go off at least once, I know it's time to replace the batteries. Otherwise not until the beep.

[Anonymous]

Almost the end of the year, feels like a good time to bump this.

Small things I did today:
- change air filters
- clean HVAC drain
- test sump pump
- clean washing machine filter drain thing
- clean dishwasher filter

Will call someone to clean the gutters soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do you REALLY:

- change your air filters
- have someone clean your dryer vent
- clean your AC condenser
- check/clean your gutters
- clean your hot water heater
- change the batteries in your smoke detectors
- other (feel free to add your own)

Air filters— once a year for each system (so every six months?)

Dryer vent— maybe once every 5+ years?

Gutters— once a year

hW heater— never

Smoke detector— 10 yr batteries (that is code now)

Powerwash and seal our wooden deck— every 1-2 years

Shampoo wall to wall carpets— every 5+ years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do you REALLY:

- change your air filters

Every 3 months

- have someone clean your dryer vent

I do it every year or so

- clean your AC condenser

Not sure why this is or if I have one

- check/clean your gutters

Not often enough

- clean your hot water heater

Don’t think this is recommended

- change the batteries in your smoke detectors

Once a year

- other (feel free to add your own)

[Anonymous]

You can clean your own dryer vents.

It is really easy basic maintenance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do you REALLY:

- change your air filters
Do you mean furnace filters? Every 3 months if so.
- have someone clean your dryer vent
Once a year
- clean your AC condenser
Once every 2 years
- check/clean your gutters
Twice a year
- clean your hot water heater
Never
- change the batteries in your smoke detectors
Mine are wired. They “expire” after 10 years, requiring replacement.
- other (feel free to add your own)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do you REALLY:

- change your air filters We have a 6 monthly contract with out HVAC contractor. They change our filters and also UV light if it needs changing
- have someone clean your dryer vent We clean the lint trap after every load, and also have a brush for it but it has been some time before we have a contractor come to clean our dryer vent
- clean your AC condenserEvery summer
- check/clean your gutters Never. We don't have a leaf problem. Also, we upgrade to really wide gutters so we don't have a problem.
- clean your hot water heater Never. Maybe the contractor checks it.
- change the batteries in your smoke detectors 10 yr batteries and we have our handyman change it
- RO filter. Whatever is the filter change schedule. DH does it
- Fridge filter. Whatever is the filter change schedule. DH does it
- Dishwasher filter. Every day. Also use affresh. Also use vinegar with each cycle.
- In-sink garbage disposal. Every week I use Plink, baking soda or oxyclean etc to give it a good clean.
- Cooktop vent filter screen. Every week. I just wash it in the dishwasher
- Change the batteries in your door lock When it gives indication that it is low
- Change the batteries of home security alarm When it gives indication that it is low
- Clean the sump-pump drain I make sure that it is never clogged with leaves and have fashioned a screen from an old screen door.
- Washing machine. I make sure that it is well aired by buying a door stopper. I also do the drum clean regularly. I use affresh regularly. I also drain out the filter every few months. I disassemble and clean the soap dispenser too.
- Showers, tubs and sinks - I use tubshroom, sinkshroom and I don't have any clogs. Clean at least once a day or weekly
- Grout and caulking in kitchen and bathrooms - As needed. My cleaner and my handyman takes care of it once a year
- Exterior paint, cleaning, caulking windows, railings, patio furniture etc - As needed. My handyman takes care of it once every two year
- Pressure washing the patio, repairing patio, walkway, driveway, siding etc - As needed. My handyman takes care of it once every two year or so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do you REALLY:

- change your air filters. MONTHLY


- have someone clean your dryer vent RARELY. I KNOW I KNOW BUT THEY ALWAYS BREAK SOMETHING EVERY TIME. ATLANTIC DUCT CLEANING.


- clean your AC condenser HVAC DOES IT EITHER ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR


- check/clean your gutters ONCE A YEAR IN DECEMBER


- clean your hot water heater. NEVER


- change the batteries in your smoke detectors. LI ION 10 YEAR
- other (feel free to add your own)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do you REALLY:

- change your air filters
- have someone clean your dryer vent
- clean your AC condenser
- check/clean your gutters
- clean your hot water heater
- change the batteries in your smoke detectors
- other (feel free to add your own)

What the heck does "clean your hot water heater" even mean?

And trust me, your smoke detectors are perfectly good at telling you when the batteries need to be changed. No need to worry about that.