The big once-a-year tasks are the ones that prevent four-figure failures, the kind that turn a quiet appliance into a flood or a fire. None takes long on its own, but skipped for years, a water heater full of sediment or a dryer vent packed with lint is exactly how it happens. Knock them out in one session each spring.
Quick annual maintenance checklist
- Flush sediment from the water heater.
- Deep-clean the dryer vent duct.
- Replace the smoke and CO alarm batteries and test them.
- Clean the refrigerator condenser coils.
- Inspect the washing-machine hoses.
- Test the main water shutoff.
- Have the chimney swept and inspected.
- Test the garage-door auto-reverse.
Flush the water heater
Sediment settles in the tank, insulates the burner, drops efficiency, and shortens the heater's life. Drain a few gallons from the drain valve each year per the manual, and leave the relief-valve test and any repairs to a plumber.
Deep-clean the dryer vent
Lint that gets past the screen packs the duct, and failure to clean it is the leading factor in the roughly 2,900 dryer fires US fire departments report each year. Clear the full duct and the exterior vent yearly, sooner if loads take two cycles or the dryer runs hot.
Replace the alarm batteries
Swap the batteries in smoke and CO alarms once a year unless they're sealed ten-year units, and test every alarm with the button. Replace any alarm past the date printed on the label, generally ten years for smoke and sooner for combination CO units.
Clean the refrigerator coils
Dust on the condenser coils makes the fridge run longer and the compressor work harder. Vacuum the coils behind or beneath the fridge once or twice a year, more often with pets.
Inspect the washer hoses and test the shutoff
Check the washing-machine hoses for bulges and rust and replace aging rubber on a five-year schedule, and turn the main water shutoff fully off and back on so it doesn't seize when you need it.
Have the chimney swept and inspected
NFPA 211 calls for a chimney inspection every year. Creosote buildup is a chimney-fire risk and a blocked flue can push carbon monoxide into the house. Have a CSIA-certified sweep do the work rather than climbing onto the roof or into the flue yourself.
Inspect the water-heater anode rod
The sacrificial anode rod corrodes so the tank doesn't. Checking it every few years and replacing it when it's mostly eaten away can add years to the heater. This one's DIY-friendly with the manual on a cooled, drained tank.
Test the garage-door auto-reverse
Lay a roll of paper towels flat in the door's path and close it; it should reverse within about two seconds of touching it. Then break the photo-eye beam as it closes to confirm that reverses it too.
Replace the range-hood charcoal filter and check the toilets
If your hood recirculates, replace the charcoal filter yearly, and put a dye tab in each toilet tank to catch a silent flapper leak.
Service the sump pump
Pour a bucket of water into the pit to confirm the pump runs and drains, and check that the float moves freely and the check valve holds.
Good maintenance rhythm
The checklist gets you through the year once. Keep things running smoothly year after year by following a regular maintenance schedule.
- Yearly: flush the water heater, deep-clean the dryer vent, and clean the refrigerator coils.
- Yearly: replace alarm batteries, test the alarms, and exercise the main shutoff.
- Yearly: have a CSIA-certified sweep inspect the chimney.
- Yearly: test the garage-door auto-reverse and service the sump pump.
- Every few years: inspect the water-heater anode rod and replace it when worn.
- Every five years: replace rubber washer hoses with braided stainless steel.