The desk’s product · season-proof · no hemisphere assumptions
The Once-a-Season Home Checklist
One honest idea: homes fail slowly, then suddenly. A short list of checks every season catches the slow failures while they are still cheap. Progress is saved in your browser — no account, nothing sent anywhere.
Nothing ticked yet. Tick items as you do them — your browser will remember.
The checks
Water & drainage
- 1Run water in every unused sink, shower and floor drainTraps dry out and let sewer smells back in. A jug of water a month keeps the seal.
- 2Look inside the cabinets under your sinksDamp rings, swollen board or a slow drip caught early is a five-minute fix, not a flood.
The checks
Safety devices
- 3Press the test button on your RCD / GFCI outletsThe button exists so you can prove the protection works. If it does not trip, get it checked.
- 4Test your smoke alarmsFire services recommend testing monthly. Press the button; replace batteries on the schedule the maker states.
- 5Check the torch you keep for power cutsBatteries die quietly. Give it thirty seconds of light now, not darkness later.
The checks
Appliances
- 6Clean the coils behind or under your refrigeratorDust on coils makes the compressor work harder and run hotter. Unplug first, brush gently.
- 7Inspect the washing machine hosesBulges, cracks or weeping fittings on rubber hoses are how laundry rooms flood. Makers commonly advise replacing ageing hoses before they fail.
- 8Descale the kettle and coffee machineWherever water is hard, scale shortens appliance life and ruins the taste. Your maker’s descaling guide beats any hack.
The checks
Seals & airflow
- 9Walk the windows and doorsDaylight around a closed door or cracked sealant means lost heat/cooling and moisture where you do not want it.
- 10Vacuum vents, radiators and the dryer’s full lint pathDryer lint beyond the filter is a known fire risk; blocked vents make everything work harder.
Boundaries
What is deliberately not on this list.
Nothing here asks you near an electrical panel, a gas supply, a roof or a structure. Those are the qualified professional’s territory — the checklist proves your protective devices work, and their visit proves the rest does.