When you’re a new homeowner, there are a lot of things to consider. If you were renting before you bought a house, you never had to worry about what to do when things broke; typically, you would have a landlord or apartment maintenance company to call. Homeowners don’t have that luxury. If things start to break in your home, here’s what to do.
Your Lawn Mower
Your lawn mower will typically last for eight to 10 years as long as you’re doing a good job of taking care of it. You’ll need to change the mower’s oil at least once a year or every 50 hours of use. You can do this yourself with a little bit of time. When you’re done using your mower for the season, drain the gasoline so you can put fresh gas in it next season.
Clean out the undercarriage and the air filter. Ideally, your lawn mower will last a long time, but if it breaks, you may need to just invest in a new one. Buy high-quality lawn equipment from an excellent outdoor power equipment store in Gresham, OR. You can get a good deal on pre-owned equipment, which you can trust is in perfect working order. A technician or member of their knowledgeable staff can give you a few tips on how to take care of your new mower.
An Appliance
Whether your appliances came with the home or you bought them when you moved in, you can expect them to occasionally break. Appliances like your washer, dryer, refrigerator, and dishwasher will need repair and replacement throughout your time in the home. If one of these items breaks, seek out an amazing place like Oregon Appliance Repair. The staff here provide excellent service and have years of experience. They can fix any appliance in your home that needs repair, from your stove to your freezer.
A technician can quickly diagnose the problem with your item and repair it in no time. If something breaks in your home, don’t immediately replace it. Call a professional and see if it can be fixed. Ideally, you’ll get many more years out of your refrigerator or washing machine once it’s been fixed by an expert.
A Window
Windows break in homes all the time. Maybe your kid accidentally threw a baseball and smashed it, or a rock from the lawnmower went astray. Broken windows aren’t a major cause for alarm. You can easily patch up the window yourself before calling an expert to come and replace it. Cover the window with several layers of plastic and secure it with tape. Make sure you clean up all the broken glass in the area.
If it’s summer, you probably don’t need to stress about someone coming to fix it right away, but in winter make sure you call someone immediately. If you’re feeling handy, you could attempt to fix the window yourself. If you have single-pane windows, you could remove the broken pane yourself and replace it. If you’re not confident in your repair skills, call an expert.
The Toilet
If your toilet has stopped working, you can look for the problem yourself. Check for a clog in the toilet or the main drain using a drain auger. If your toilet is always running, your water bill will be huge. You can try jiggling the handle to release the flapper and stop water from pouring into the bowl.
Your flapper might need replacing, which you can do yourself fairly easily (the replacement should even have instructions on it). If the idea of plumbing terrifies you, it’s simple. Call a professional if anything goes wrong. If your toilet’s overflowing and you don’t know how to stop it, your plumber should be able to give you advice before he or she even gets there.
Ultimately, things are bound to go wrong in a home. If you pick up a few tips and tricks for fixing items, you might be able to prevent anything major from breaking. When you need real help, call a professional.
