Maintenance
What the manufacturers' manuals ask an owner to check, and where the work belongs to a licensed professional. Every point links to the manual page it comes from.
How House Works EditorialChecked against sources,
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- How House Works Editorial
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- HHW · MAINTENANCE
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- Manufacturers' installation and owner's manuals
- Generator clearances: how far from the house, by manufacturer
Standby generator clearances to the house, windows, overhangs, shrubs and fences in four brands' manuals, and CPSC's 20-foot minimum for portables.
- Home maintenance schedule from the manuals: monthly to yearly
How often furnace, boiler, water heater, mini-split and generator manuals ask you to check filters, valves and vents, and which jobs go to a technician.
- Winter home maintenance checklist: furnace, boiler, water heater
What furnace, boiler, water heater, mini-split and generator manuals ask owners to check before winter, page by page, and what to leave to a technician.
- Water heater or furnace closet: clearance and air requirements
Before you box in a water heater or furnace: the clearances and combustion air openings each manual requires, by brand and series, with page numbers.