We’re sure you’re aware that there are many common household items that need to be replaced. A lot of these items are really obvious. For instance, you’re not going to keep stained and ragged kitchen towels around. But there are plenty of other things around your home that are probably not getting replaced when they should be.
We’ll talk about some of those less-obvious household replacements and how frequently those replacements need to happen. Some of these are items you’ll know you need to replace, but maybe don’t know how frequently, and others are items you might not have thought about replacing.
“Sweet Dreams” by y-cart is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
1. Mattresses
While everyone knows that mattresses do eventually need to be replaced, it seems that people generally only replace them when certain events in their lives happen. For instance, maybe they move far away, move out of a parent’s house, or go from being partnered to single. These are the situations that typically lead to a new mattress. You might be asking yourself, “How long do mattresses last?” The answer to that is anywhere from five to ten years.
A good rule of thumb is to pick up a new mattress every seven or eight years, but the reality is that how long a mattress lasts is completely subjective to the type of mattress (futon, memory foam, latex, etc.) and the wear and tear the mattress gets on a regular basis.
There’s one simple rule to follow, regardless of if you’ve had your mattress for three years or five – if your mattress gets uncomfortable, switch it!
“Clean and Dirty Furnace Filters” by paul_fujimoto is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
2. Furnace filters
If you have a furnace, you might not know that you do need to change the filters regularly. Now, there’s not a standard time to replace your filter. It honestly depends on how frequently you run your HVAC unit and how much it has to filter. If you have pets or are a smoker, your filter will need to be changed more frequently.
A decent rule of thumb is to plan on changing your filter every three months if you have 1-2 inch filters, and change it every six months if it’s a 4-inch filter. If you’re working with a 5-inch filter, plan on changing it every 12 months.
Some signs that it’s time to change your furnace filter include:
- The HVAC system is turning on more frequently
- Your home seems dirtier (perhaps you’re seeing more dust, hair, pet dander etc.)
- It smells hot or strange
- The filter itself looks dirty
- If you have a wood stove or a boiler, you won’t need to worry about this, but you’ll still need to keep up with proper maintenance
3. Water heater
While your warranty is the best indicator of how long your water heater should last, a general rule of thumb is if it’s over 10 years old, it’s probably time to start thinking about replacing it.
Generally speaking, with proper maintenance, you can expect an electric tankless water heater to survive the longest at upwards of 20 years; electric tanks, 15 years; and gas water heater tanks, 8-12 years.
Speaking of proper maintenance, to hit these upward numbers, you should be draining and flushing your water heater at least every year. If you live in an area with hard water, plan on doing this cleaning every six months. If you’re thinking about getting a new boiler and the idea of maintenance is a turn off, consider a tankless water heater. On average, they’ll only need to be serviced once every four or five years.
Beyond looking at the warranty, here are some things that will indicate you need to replace your water heater:
- A higher than normal utility bill
- Leaking
- Cold water or a change in the colour, such as seeing rust or cloudy sediment
4. Carpets
Yikes! The idea of replacing your carpet probably sounds horrific. However, it does need to be replaced on occasion. Just like with many of the other things we’ve talked about, carpets don’t have a set expiration date. Instead, there are signs you need to pay attention to in order to know when you’ll need to replace them.
Some of the signs to look for include:
- Stretching
- Warping
- Threadbare spots
- Staining
- Odours
You’ll start seeing these signs anywhere between five to fifteen years. Think you might get away with keeping your carpet longer since you don’t frequently tread on it? Unfortunately, that’s not how that works. Even the carpet underlay in an unused room will begin breaking down and need to be changed.
If you keep up on these changes and replacements, your home will be more comfortable, things will run smoother, and your home will be a great place in which to live.
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