Fire Hazard Mistakes Homeowners Make When Maintaining Their House

All homeowners know that home maintenance is a crucial task they cannot afford to ignore. They don’t want to end up paying for unnecessary repairs when they can avoid this through regular home upkeep. This is one reason many homeowners try so hard to maintain their homes regularly. But simply doing home maintenance is not enough to avoid all costly consequences. Proper planning and adequate research are crucial if you want the best results.

One of the worst things that can happen to a homeowner is for their home to catch on fire. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are in avoiding house fires, accidents can still occur. But one of the biggest regrets homeowners have is their failure to prevent house fires due to home maintenance mistakes.

Failure to maintain your home the right way can lead make your house prone to safety risks. You could already be unknowingly nursing the very reason why your home can catch fire in the future. Make sure you avoid these home maintenance mistakes if you don’t want house fires to ruin your beautiful investment.

Skimping on Appliance Maintenance

We often don’t think much about our appliances. As long as they are still in good working condition, we believe that appliance cleaning is already enough. To avoid appliances catching fire, we make sure to use them as instructed, keep them clean, and unplug them when not in use.

But remember that appliance misuse is one of the main reasons houses catch on fire. Without proper usage, cleaning and maintenance, these can easily be the very cause of your nightmare. So, make sure you keep up with appliance maintenance and repair.

One appliance we often take for granted but are always utilizing is our very own clothes dryers. Once your dryer vent gets clogged with lint, dirt, dust, and everything in between can get stuck, this becomes a fire hazard. Make sure you invest in dryer vent cleaning services and allow the pros to help you avoid dryer fires.

Investing in the Wrong Upgrades

We want our houses to look and feel great all the time. This is why many homeowners are so into home maintenance and improvements. One thing homeowners are obsessed with is ensuring their home is well-lit.

Unlike before, we now care to use different types of lighting. Homeowners would also choose energy-efficient lights. But simply investing in “better” lighting solutions does not already mean you are already making the right choice.

For example, you could be on a mission to replace existing light bulbs that are already burned out. You don’t want to commit the mistake of choosing a higher wattage bulb than what is instructed in your lamps. This can quickly become a fire hazard and cause your lamp to catch fire.

Relying on DIYs to Do Major Home Maintenance Projects

Do-it-yourself home maintenance is on the rise thanks to the abundant flow of DIY tutorials online. The experts make it look so easy to maintain a house yourself. But in reality, there are tasks best left to the pros if you want house fires out of your own home.

DIY wiring, electrical panel repair, and other electrical system maintenance tasks may seem simple enough. But far too many homeowners already had accidents for attempting the DIY approach. Unless you have ample experience and a license to update your wiring or repair your electrical panel, avoid DIY-ing so you can also prevent fires and accidents.

The same goes for forgetting to maintain your HVAC system. When dirt, dust, and other things accumulate in your coils and vents, this obstructs airflow and can catch fire. Be sure to allow the experts to check on your HVAC system and take care of its maintenance and repair to avoid unit choking from causing a house fire.

Another thing that many people did not know can cause house fires are plumbing issues. In reality, specific plumbing problems can potentially be a fire hazard. You can avoid the following with the help of licensed plumbers.

  • Apply heat tape to exposed pipes to prevent water pipes from freezing during winter. The electrical element inside can overheat if applied incorrectly.
  • Pipes and wires are often placed close to each other in between walls and the floors. When these two systems have vulnerabilities or are already starting to wear and tear, hidden leaks dripping on exposed wires can be an excellent recipe for fire.

How you maintain your home can impact your family’s safety. But doing this without knowing the facts fires can only lead to serious consequences. Learn how to avoid house fires with the help of proper maintenance so you can enjoy that peace of mind.