Electrical maintenance covers all aspects of testing, monitoring, fixing, and replacing elements of an electrical system. Usually performed by a licensed professional with complete knowledge of the National Electric Code and local regulations.
Corrective maintenance involves the identification, isolation, or repair of the fault that has happened. It is based on the fact that the cost required to repair the defect is lower than the cost for complete program maintenance.
As per the name, the primary purpose of preventive maintenance is to reduce the chances of equipment faults and supervise the machine’s condition. It is planned maintenance performed at regular intervals to keep a check on electrical equipment so it will not break unexpectedly. It is similar to servicing your car based on how much it has run and not its condition. Usually, the relevant parts of the faulty equipment will be replaced or repaired before the expected failure point.
Predictive maintenance is identified by the condition of the equipment rather than its expected life span. This kind of maintenance examines the state of equipment through offline periodic or online continuous equipment monitoring. Predictive maintenance attempts to predict the failure even before it takes place by keeping a check on the machine during its normal operations.
(Source: https://laxmiassociates.in/types-of-electrical-maintenance/)
Installing or replacing a roof can be very expensive, but it can be avoided for up to 30 years with proper care. Adhering to a proper roof maintenance routine can save you effort and money by extending the life of your roof.
Keep in mind that it is best to hire professionals to handle any tasks related to your roofing, but if you choose to venture onto your roof yourself, please be sure to be safe and follow all the necessary precautions.
It is essential to get your roof inspected thoroughly by an experienced and professional roofer to check for signs of damage and put a stop to them before the problem becomes severe. Be sure your roofer includes the following in their inspection:
The roof membrane must be adequately examined, particularly if it only has a single layer of protection. Watch out for typical problems such as punctures, fastener back-out, shrinkage, bitterness, and more.
Remove debris such as twigs, leaves, sticks, and branches which can otherwise accumulate and damage your roof and potentially cause the wood to rot. The trees near your home that overhang your roof should also be trimmed to eliminate the danger of them crashing into your roof during storms.
Although cleaning drains and gutters is not a well-liked job, it is a requirement. It is recommended to clean them before rainfalls and storms so that water doesn’t get backed up and has a proper exit route from the roof. Remember, an effective draining system is key to the longevity of the roof.
Joints and seals are the regions where you can typically find leaks, so be sure to inspect them thoroughly. If you do notice them leaking, call a professional to repair the issue before it becomes worse. Check for dried-out or loose sealant as well to see if that is what caused the issue.
While examining the metal and rubber flashings, ensure they don’t require re-caulking. If you feel that it needs to be re-caulked, remove the old adhesive and seal the area with new caulk. Also check for gaps, holes, and bent flashing in the roof to prevent any leaks.
Check attic ventilation and insulation. Insulation helps reduce moisture formation, prevent ice dams and warping, and protect your roof against potential water damage.
(Source: https://www.integrityroofers.com/a-complete-guide-to-roof-maintenance/)
Why is it so important that we take the proper steps to maintain our gutters? Well, proper maintenance is actually key to maintaining the integrity of your home’s foundation. Here are some issues that you will avoid if you clean your gutters as instructed.
Water from the roof can pour over your gutters and will fall near your home’s foundation. This can cause erosion and leaks into your basement. Backed-up gutters can also cause damage to your shingles and cause water to get into your home, which may ruin your home’s interior. Keep in mind, water always follows the path of least resistance!
Mold and mildew can grow in places where water has not evaporated fast enough. These are issues that become challenging, can affect your health, and are expensive to correct. Avoid them by cleaning out your gutters.
Aside from the many things you can prevent, cleaning your gutters also allows you to:
Take note of any potential damage on your gutters and get them repaired as soon as possible to prevent increased problems during storms and weather threats. Take note if there are any uneven sections, leaks, or loose brackets. Ensure that your gutters are securely attached to your roof. These repairs or the problems that stem from clogged gutters can be costly, so we want to avoid them as best we can.
Some homeowners find rodents like mice, squirrels, and small raccoons taking shelter in their gutters. The concave shape and easy access to the ground (through the downspout) make your gutters a great nesting place for little animals. If this is an issue you face, consider getting downspout screens (install them at ground level) with some humane rodent repellent nearby to keep animals from using the downspout as an elevator to the warmth of your attic.
Mosquitoes and other pests can also become a problem if enough debris builds up to hold enough water. This can become a serious issue and in the worst-case scenario, it can make your family and pets vulnerable to illnesses like West Nile or Zika and, at best, annoy your family outdoor gatherings with bug bites.
Long story short, making sure that your gutters are properly maintained is a guaranteed way to help ensure the safety and well-being of both your home and your family.
(Source: https://mastershield.com/fall-gutter-maintenance/)
Be careful of what you flush down the toilet. Items such as hair, food waste, grease, and wipes can form solid masses and clog your drains.
Toilet paper and waste are the only objects that should get flushed down the toilet. It’s the easiest way to make sure you avoid a costly (and unsightly) repair.
While a significant leak in your home’s plumbing will typically require a licensed plumber to repair, there are a few things to be on the lookout for regarding more subtle toilet leaks that not only waste water but can cause trouble if ignored.
Occasionally check around your toilet’s base for pooling water on the floor or dripping from under the tank. Repairing these could mean simply tightening the floor or tank bolts. However, the problem could be with the wax ring or tank gaskets, which will require a bit more work to resolve. Address these problems right away to avoid a more urgent water damage issue.
More commonly, your toilet may suffer a slow leak that’s nearly undetectable without testing. In that case, you may notice the tank needing to refill itself from time to time for seemingly no reason. To test if water is slowly leaking within your toilet, place a couple of teaspoons of food coloring in the tank and wait. If after about a half-hour you notice the color showing up in the bowl, you likely need a new flapper or another part is failing.
You don’t have to wait for symptoms to appear to check on these types of toilet leaks. You can keep an eye out for visible leaks all the time and perform the food coloring test every once in a while.
More commonly, your toilet may suffer a slow leak that’s nearly undetectable without testing. In that case, you may notice the tank needing to refill itself from time to time for seemingly no reason. To test if water is slowly leaking within your toilet, place a couple of teaspoons of food coloring in the tank and wait. If after about a half-hour you notice the color showing up in the bowl, you likely need a new flapper or another part is failing.
You don’t have to wait for symptoms to appear to check on these types of toilet leaks. You can keep an eye out for visible leaks all the time and perform the food coloring test every once in a while.
Did you know that faucet water leaks can waste up to 180 gallons of water per week, according to the Environmental Protection Agency? These leaks can happen as a result of:
Not only do leaks waste a lot of water, but they can also increase your water bill. To prevent any issues from arising, inspect your faucets and showerheads regularly for signs of leakage.
Ensure that your handles aren’t leaking when you turn your water off. They tend to be a sneaky culprit for water leaks. You should also check under your sinks while the water runs to establish if one of your pipes is leaking. If you see water stains, you’ll need to address the issue right away.
Most of the appliances in your home such as the washing machine, refrigerators, and water heater connect to your main water line. Each of their processes can use heavy amounts of water, causing leaks at any point.
You’ll know you have a leak if there are water stains or standing puddles in areas around the appliances. Manufacturers always supply maintenance guidelines to help you care for the product. Following them will help you stay on top of any issues and schedule the necessary repairs.
While having a garbage disposal in your kitchen is a fantastic convenience, it does have some limitations to bear in mind. Placing incompatible things in the disposer can cause both immediate problems and ones that aren’t apparent for a while.
Avoid putting fibrous foods, uncooked starches like rice and pasta, coffee grounds, or eggshells in the machine. These items can harm the disposer or easily clog up its inner workings. Fruit pits, bones, and other hard items can also easily damage the blades inside and are difficult to remove.
Finally, while putting grease (especially hot, liquid oil) in a drain or disposer may seem innocent enough, the substance cools quickly in your home plumbing, congeals back into a solid there, and can lead to clogs deep in your home’s plumbing sometime down the road.
If you’ve noticed water going down your drains slowly, you may have a slight clogging problem. Your first choice might be to buy a chemical drain cleaner since it’s a heavy-duty response and can clear the blockage right away.
Sometimes, this isn’t the best move because these products contain acids that can eat away at your pipes or damage your toilet. Instead, you can use a mixture of hot water, vinegar, and baking soda. The contents will bubble up and clear out your drains, allowing your water flow to return to normal.
Alternatively, use an enzyme cleaner from your local plumber or hardware store and allow the natural enzymes to do the heavy lifting for you. Try to use this method at least once a month or any time you see water leaving your drains slowly. But if you’ve tried these methods and the problem remains, contact a professional plumber in your area.
Your home is either connected to a septic tank or a sewer line, depending on where you live. Septic tanks treat your wastewater on-site, usually in a space near or underneath your property. On the other hand, sewer main lines connect to your city’s water system. All of your wastewater gets sent underground to a nearby treatment facility.
Regardless of your home’s sewage system, your drains should get inspected by a professional. Due to the constant flow of water, pipes can clog with debris from time to time, causing problems with your sewer drains at home.
Schedule sewer line maintenance at least once a year to prevent this issue from happening. A plumber will come in and clear out any slight blockages before they become substantial problems.
Have you had moments where you’ve been looking forward to showering, and the pressure was trickling out slowly? You’re not alone. We might not think about it too often but water pressure regulation is healthy for our homes.
When you have lower water pressure, it will take longer to do the dishes or have a quick shower. It can cause leaks or burst your pipes if it’s too high since they aren’t used to the heavy water pressure. That’s why balance is key.
You can test your water pressure levels using a pressure gauge. It will let you know if the pressure is too high or low. Another preventive measure you can take is installing a pressure regulator. Pressure regulators maintain your water level so it doesn’t go above the required level. With these two tools, you’ll help keep your water bills at a reasonable price.
Don’t forget to shut off your outdoor fixtures on a seasonal schedule. If possible, shut off the water supply to these fixtures—think outside hoses, faucets, and sprinkler systems—and drain and insulate them in the fall before freezing temperatures start. Depending on where you live, you may have to blow out your sprinkler system and follow a sprinkler winterization procedure.
It’s no secret we all have busy lives, so it can be challenging to make sure there’s ample time for our household tasks. However, when it comes to plumbing issues leaving any problems for too long could create lasting damage in your home.
On average, the cost of plumbing repairs is around $330 but can increase as high as $3,000 if the issue is more severe. To avoid these not-so-wallet-friendly prices, create a plumbing maintenance schedule.
Walk around your house and note things that may need a tweak or fix. Add them to your favorite calendar app so you can organize your time correctly. Your plumbing maintenance scheduling will keep your system working the way it should and keep your money in your pockets.
A little bit of plumbing maintenance goes a long way. As long as you keep a consistent schedule and follow preventive measures, things should be fine.
On the off chance you experience an issue you’re not sure how to handle, search for plumbers near you. Their expertise will prevent the problem from worsening and leave you a happy homeowner.
(Source: https://www.angi.com/articles/6-plumbing-maintenance-tips-your-home.htm)
1. Use High-Quality Paints – (Month 3, Week 2: Day 4)
High-quality paint products last longer and resist fading and yellowing from sunlight exposure. They are more durable, provide better coverage, and help conceal cosmetic flaws on walls and ceilings better than cheaper products. There are special paint formulas that are resistant to stains, prevent the growth of mold and mildew, and resist premature fading.
2. Choose the Right Paint Finish
The glossier the finish, the more durable and easier it will be to clean. Flat paint tends to be harder to clean and is easily scuffed. High-traffic areas like hallways, break rooms, and other busy areas need a gloss, semi-gloss, or satin finish. These finishes provide better resistance to scuffs and dirt and are easy to wipe down.
3. Clean and Dust Regularly
When dust, dirt, and grime accumulate on walls, it shortens the paint’s lifespan. Regular dusting and cleaning especially in high-traffic areas will extend the life of interior paint. Use mild soap and a soft microfiber cloth to clean surfaces when necessary. Once you clean your walls, dry them quickly to avoid too much moisture on the surface. Wiping up spills and cleaning scuff marks as soon as possible is the best way to protect interior paint and keep it looking fresh.
4. Repair Damaged Paint Quickly
It’s always a good idea to store leftover paint to make minor repairs. To prevent a small problem from worsening, frequently check for damage, such as small cracks, chips, or peeling paint. You can use small brushes and leftover touch-up paint to repair small defects. Quickly repairing minor issues can help prevent the need for an entirely new paint job.
5. Use Protective Features
The movement of people, equipment, and furniture can bump, scratch, and scuff the paint in busy commercial settings. Use door stoppers to keep doors from banging into walls. Chair rails, wall guards, and corner guards act as physical barriers to protect against damage and are a good investment in high-traffic areas.
6. Install Window Treatments
Colour fade is not a significant problem with high-quality paint. If you’re not sure about the quality of your interior paint, shades and window treatments will help combat fading. They also protect furniture, carpeting, and other items from excessive exposure to damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
(Source: https://arppainting.com/residential-painting/maintenance-tips-for-interior-paint/)
1. Use High-Quality Paint and Materials
Different paints have different properties. For the exterior, you must use paint that is able to withstand weather beatings, like moisture, temperature, and pollution. Use paint materials including conditioners and primers that are of high quality and can last many years. High-quality products are very important as they have properties to bear external factors. Low-quality paint peels off easily, gets washed off in the rain, and can lose its charm in only a few years.
2. Cleaning Annually
Exterior paint has to bear the rain and sometimes mud stains in the rain also get deposited on the exterior surface. Interiors in the house are more prone to stains and marks of dirty hands, and if young children are in the house, a lot of marks on the wall are common. Hence, cleaning of walls is very important. If the stains are not washed off regularly, they may become permanent, and you will have to re-paint them to get rid of them. Cleaning will make the walls look vibrantly fresh and clean. It gives a new life to house paint. Cleaning also helps in getting rid of fungus and germs growth. There are a lot of paints that are not washable and hence cleaning them is not easy. Make sure you are choosing washable paints for interiors as they are easy to clean.
3. Choose Waterproof paint
Moisture is the devil. Moisture is the main eroding agent of external paint. Even in interior paints, waterproof paint is important. If you choose waterproof paint for your wooden fitting, it will protect the wood from water, hence protecting your structure. Waterproof paint is less likely to crack and bubble, and hence the life of paint increases on its own. Therefore, while choosing paint make sure to pick waterproof paint.
4. Regular Inspection
Regular inspection will help you to spot damage in paint in the initial stages. A crack and bubble in the paint if noticed in earlier stages, can easily be repaired. The exteriors of your house are more exposed which can lead to the growth of moss and algae on walls and sometimes fungus growth too. If these damages are repaired on time, your paintwork can last longer.
(Source: https://pizzazzpainting.com/blog/paint-maintenance-tips-to-keep-your-house-in-great-condition/)
If you keep up with wood floor care, you won’t get overwhelmed. Start with a weekly cleaning plan. Don’t be afraid to clean more frequently—but dusting may be sufficient for any sort of daily care. Regular weekly cleaning plays an even more important role up north. Ice, snow, and mud can wreak havoc on a wood floor over time.
Keep your wood floors clean and you can rely on them for many years. We prefer products designed specifically for wood floors. If you have any concerns, you can test out the cleaner in a closet or somewhere any poor results won’t be as noticeable.
Sunlight and traffic simply work to dull wood floors over time. They erode and destroy any protective coatings if you don’t regularly clean and care for your wood floors. To guard against this, we recommend putting a coating of polish on your wood floors 2 times per year. Some people recommend more applications—but that depends on the product used.
Water is the number one detriment to hardwood floors in most homes (along with other spilled liquids). If you were involved in the selection of your hardwood floor, you probably know the destructive nature of unwanted moisture. Even when choosing a flooring product this makes a difference in the type of material you should install.
Water on the topside of a hardwood floor can be destructive not only to the structure in the long term but also to its beauty in the short term. Dry your floors immediately if there is a spill.
We recommend against cleaning wood floors with water—that includes laminate or engineered floors. While some flooring claims to be waterproof for long periods of time—you never know when you might have gaps or places of entry where moisture can penetrate.
As we recommended above, you really want to keep dust and grime off of your floors. Knowing how to clean wood floors is an important part of caring for them. However, when you clean your wood floor, don’t use water. Instead, use either a dust mop or—at the very least—a broom that features exploded tips. These broom tips help to trap the dust when you sweep while avoiding the necessity of frequently wet mopping.
Along with the broom recommendation, don’t use beater brush vacuums just suction. Some vacuums let you disable the brush for non-carpeted flooring. The aggressive brushes can cause damage over time and you really don’t need them on wood floors.
It may seem obvious but never use a steam mop or cleaner on your wood floors. We’ve heard some wild stories and recommendations on using those to rid floors of stains. While sealed floors can probably handle it, many engineered floors have glues and bonding agents that could suffer negative effects. You could also encounter areas of your “sealed” wood floor that don’t bear up well under that kind of treatment.
And if you use a steam mop on a laminate floor, you might completely bubble up the edges of the top layer—resulting in a completely ruined floor. In the end, that simply isn’t a method we recommend—best to avoid them entirely.
You don’t hear about shoes all that often when talking about hardwood floor damage, but wait until you have kids and they walk in wearing cleats! You can also damage floors with stilettos and other really narrow heels. Just be aware of how hard shoes can damage your flooring over time. Pay particular attention to entryways.
You can try small area mats at the entrances to clean off shoes. These can be very effective at preventing a majority of dirt from being tracked in. As with most things, preventing a problem is better than correcting a problem. With that in mind, you may even want to start taking off your shoes when entering the house. We’ve had that practice for years and it works pretty well.
Also, keep the nails trimmed on your dogs and cats. You’d be surprised how that can affect the look of your wood floor over time!
Your furniture may also cause damage to your floors. One easy way to prevent that damage is to place glides with fabric bottoms beneath the legs of your furniture. Another common-sense pointer is to simply be careful anytime you move furniture.
Unless you like slipping and falling, stay away from oil-based polishes. I once over-sprayed Pledge on a coffee table and our two boys spent the next couple of hours “ice skating” on the living room floor. The good news is I think they took care of the problem for us and they didn’t have far to fall.
For the rest of us, creating the equivalent of “black ice” on your living room and dining room floor probably isn’t a great way to live a long and prosperous life. Aside from the slippery factor, oil-based polishes can dull your floor over time as the material tends to build up.
Sun is the next thing to keep an eye on. It may be surprising that constant exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause discoloration. If possible, draw the curtains or close the blinds to protect your floors.
If you included some sort of UV curing or protection in your wood floor finish you have a huge advantage here. These modern solutions provide much-needed color protection from the sun’s harmful rays.
For those who have to deal with existing floors, adding UV-protective film on your sun-facing windows might be a great way to help eliminate fading of your wood floor.
The last tip for cleaning hardwood floors is to be picky about the cleaners that you use. Anytime you plan to use a cleaner, ensure that it specifically works for cleaning hardwood floors. A common characteristic of hardwood floor cleaners is that their PH is neutral. This helps avoid damage and build-up that eventually hides the luster of your floor.
(Source: https://www.protoolreviews.com/wood-floor-care-how-to/)
When cleaning unglazed wall and floor tiles, use a damp sponge or cloth with a solution of water and a brand of soapless detergent, do not use an all-purpose cleaner. Please do not use ammonia, as it will discolor the grout. When cleaning any glazed wall tiles use a sponge or cloth and dampen it with a non-oil-based household cleaner. Vacuum glazed floor tiles regularly to remove dirt and other gritty particles then damp mop or sponge with an all-purpose non-oil-based cleaner. If you are using soft water, use a non-oil-based all-purpose cleaner. Let stand for five minutes then lightly scrub with a sponge, and rinse thoroughly. With soap scum, mildew stains, and hard-water deposits: remove from ceramic tile using cleaning products that are commonly available at your local home improvement store.
After the tiles are cleaned and dried briefly after installation, grout joints should be treated with a silicone sealer. It is recommended that you apply a sealer at least once every six months for maximum stain protection. Commercial Cleaning is for areas of high traffic or areas that have been highly neglected. Heavy-duty cleaning requires making a paste of scouring powder. Apply to the area needed and let stand for a few minutes. Scour with a brush and then rinse and wipe dry. For larger areas, you may want to enable the use of a scrubbing machine, though for most floors a small non-abrasive brush or sponge would be suitable.
(Source: https://www.generalceramic.com/tile-maintenance/)
For cleaning and restoring old ceramic, porcelain tile & grout to like new condition, we recommend using an acidic cleaner designed for this surface. This will remove tough soap scum, hard water deposits, grout haze, and efflorescence. If you have heavy grease and oil stains, pre-clean using an alkaline cleaner formulated for ceramic and porcelain tile. This will cut through tough grease and soil stains.
After restoring your tile and grout, remember to seal with an impregnating sealer to guard against future stains.
Ceramic and porcelain tile is usually impervious or highly resistant to staining. However, grout may be a different story. Substances that are highly acidic, such as orange juice, coffee, vinegar, wine, tomato-based products, mustard, and many soft drinks will most likely leave an “etch”, a chemical reaction that may leave a dull area or mark. Properly sealing the grout will give you time to wipe up a spill to avoid staining, but it cannot prevent etching. In addition, ordinary household cleaners with coloured dyes or those containing bleach, ammonia, or abrasives are not recommended for ceramic, porcelain tile & grout. They may damage the surface and likely degrade the sealer that is applied to the grout, which provides stain protection.
Scoop up food with a plastic spoon. Blot with a dry white cloth. Spray the area with a neutral cleaner and wipe off excess with a clean cloth.
Blot up the excess with a clean, dry cloth. Then clean the area with a pH-balanced cleaner and wipe off excess with a clean cloth.
Let the mud stain dry completely. Remove dried mud with a soft plastic nylon brush. Spray the affected area with a neutral cleaner and wipe off excess with a clean cloth.
(Source: https://laticrete.com/en/solution-center/featured-solutions/surface-care-and-maintenance/resources/care-and-maintanence/ceramic-and-porcelain-tile-care)
