Tasks Homeowners Forget Until Something Goes Wrong

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are only useful when they work. Yet many homeowners discover flat batteries only when the low-battery chirp starts at 2 a.m. — or worse, when an emergency occurs. Most alarms use a 9-volt or AA battery and should be tested monthly by pressing the test button until the alarm sounds. If the sound is weak or absent, replace the battery immediately.

Carbon monoxide detectors — which alert you to the colorless, odorless gas produced by faulty gas appliances — typically need replacing entirely every five to seven years. Check the manufacture date printed on the back of the unit. Alarms that are past their service life should be replaced even if they appear to be working.

A clogged air filter forces your heating and cooling system to work harder, raising energy use, reducing airflow, and shortening the system's lifespan. Dust, pet hair, and pollen build up faster than most people expect — standard 1-inch filters typically need replacing every one to three months, while thicker filters may last up to six months.

To check yours, locate the filter slot on your furnace or air handler, slide the filter out, and hold it up to the light. If you can't see light passing through it clearly, it's time for a new one. Note the dimensions printed on the filter's cardboard frame before buying a replacement. This is one of the simplest and cheapest maintenance tasks available to homeowners, yet surveys consistently find it among the most skipped.

Your boiler runs quietly in the background for most of the year, so it's easy to assume it's fine until it isn't — often on the coldest day of winter. Annual servicing by a qualified heating engineer checks for combustion efficiency, gas pressure, heat exchanger condition, and safety valve operation. In many regions, gas work must be carried out by a registered professional; in the US, this typically means a licensed HVAC technician or plumber certified for gas systems.

Beyond safety, regular servicing tends to extend equipment life and catch small faults before they become expensive repairs. See our guide to keeping your boiler running well for a full explanation of what annual servicing involves and what warning signs to watch for.

Slow drains are rarely a plumbing emergency — until a full blockage floods a cabinet or backs up into the sink during a dinner party. Hair, soap residue, and food debris accumulate in the curved trap section just beneath every drain. Clearing it takes about five minutes and requires no special tools beyond a drain cover removal and a drain snake or bent wire hanger.

For bathroom sinks and tubs, remove the stopper or drain cover and pull out any hair buildup using needle-nose pliers or a plastic drain cleaning tool. For kitchen sinks, avoid pouring fats or oils down the drain at all — they solidify as they cool and are one of the primary causes of stubborn blockages. Running hot water after washing greasy cookware helps, but it isn't a complete solution.

Caulk — the flexible, waterproof sealant applied around bathtubs, showers, sinks, and windows — dries out, shrinks, and cracks over time. Once it gaps, water seeps behind tiles or wall surfaces where it causes mold growth and structural rot that's often invisible until the damage is extensive. Run a finger along all caulked seams every six months or so and look for cracking, discoloration, or sections that have lifted away from the surface.

Removing old caulk with a utility knife or caulk-removal tool and applying a fresh bead is a beginner-friendly job. Use a caulk designed specifically for wet areas — these are formulated to resist mold and humidity. Smooth the bead with a damp finger before it sets, and allow it to cure fully before using the area (the packaging will state cure time). This one task can prevent costly water damage repairs down the line.

When a pipe bursts or a supply line under the sink fails, the ability to shut off the water within seconds can mean the difference between a minor inconvenience and thousands of dollars in flood damage. Yet many homeowners have never located their main shutoff valve — often called a stopcock — let alone tested it.

In most US homes the shutoff is near the water meter, typically in the basement, crawl space, utility room, or outside near the foundation. Turn it fully clockwise to close, then open it again to confirm it operates freely. Valves that haven't been turned in years can seize; if yours resists movement, it's worth having a plumber service it before an emergency arises. Our article on understanding your home's water stopcock covers this in more detail.