Helpful Hints Homeowners Should Know

With the cost of real estate and repairs always growing in expense, it is good money savings to practice preventive maintenance that will later as you avoid costly repairs! This article was prepared to minimize your house upkeep costs and maintains the value of the property with preventive maintenance before repair costs escalate.

How to shut off the water to your home

Locate the water meter and turn the valve handle clockwise. The water meter is gold in color and has a flap-type lid that closes over the dial gauge in most cases. Turn a faucet on and off to see the gauge move to identify this is the right meter.

How to shut off your water heater

Turn the gas control valve to off. Turn the valve on the cold side (water feeding side) clockwise until it stops.

What to do if you smell gas

Leave the home immediately, move slowly, do not turn on or off any light switches or any other item which may create a spark.

Inspect roofs for future leaks

If a roof is more than 12 years old, get it professionally inspected. A homeowner should avoid climbing on the roof due to the risk of falling or creating damage. Consider using binoculars instead to check for broken shingles. To avoid leaks, make sure that flashings are intact and not getting flaky or deteriorated.

What to do if the faucet breaks or the water to it won't shut off

Locate your water meter in the basement, turn the valve clockwise until it stops. If it has a lever handle, turn it clockwise a 1/4 turn. Don't ever force a valve. Your water heater can be identified by its gold color, with a flap-type lid over the gauges. You should see the needle in the meter turning if the water is running.

How to flush the sediment from the water heater

Connect a hose to the boiler drain valve at the base of the water heater. Run the other end of the hose to a drain and turn the boiler drain valve counterclockwise. Let run for about 10 minutes. Turn the drain valve clockwise and disconnect the hose.