
10 Overlooked Home Maintenance Tasks That Could Save You Trouble
When it comes to homeownership, there’s a lot to keep track of. From paying bills to maintaining the yard, it’s easy to let certain home maintenance tasks slip through the cracks. However, neglecting these tasks can lead to expensive repairs and reduced home value down the road. If you’re looking to protect your investment, keep reading and take action to ensure your home remains in good condition.
1. Cleaning Gutters
Gutters are like the unsung heroes of your home, diverting rainwater away from your foundation and preventing water damage. Neglecting them can lead to serious (and expensive!) problems. When leaves, debris, and dirt accumulate in your gutters, they become clogged. This can cause water to overflow, potentially leading to:
- Foundation Issues: Excess water around the foundation can weaken its structural integrity and lead to cracks.
- Basement Flooding: Clogged gutters can redirect water towards your basement, resulting in costly flooding.
- Wood Rot: Water overflow can saturate the wood fascia, soffit, and siding, leading to rot.
2. Replacing HVAC Filters

Your HVAC system does more than just keep you comfortable; it also maintains air quality in your home. Neglecting filter replacement can result in:
- Reduced Air Quality: Dirty filters can’t effectively capture dust, pollen, and other allergens, leading to poor indoor air quality.
- Higher Energy Bills: A clogged filter forces your HVAC system to work harder, increasing energy consumption and bills.
- System Damage: Over time, neglected filters can damage the HVAC system itself, resulting in costly repairs.
3. Checking for Roof Leaks
A leaking roof isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a potential disaster waiting to happen. Delaying repairs can lead to:
- Interior Damage: Leaks can damage ceilings, walls, and insulation, leading to costly interior repairs.
- Microbial Growth and Mildew: Moisture from roof leaks can promote microbial and mildew growth, which is both unhealthy and expensive to remediate.
- Decreased Home Value: An unrepaired roof leak can significantly reduce your home’s value and make it harder to sell.
4. Flushing Your Water Heater

Your water heater plays a crucial role in your daily life. Routine flushing helps remove sediment buildup that can lead to:
- Reduced Efficiency: Sediment buildup can make your water heater less efficient, causing it to use more energy and increasing your utility bills.
- Shortened Lifespan: Neglecting this maintenance can lead to the premature failure of your water heater, resulting in an expensive replacement.
- Inconsistent Hot Water: Sediment can block the heating element, resulting in uneven hot water distribution.
5. Testing Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are your first line of defense in emergencies. Forgetting to test them regularly can put your family’s safety at risk:
- Reduced Safety: Non-functioning detectors may not provide early warnings in case of a fire or carbon monoxide leak, potentially endangering lives.
- Increased Fire Risk: Without working smoke detectors, fires can escalate before you’re aware of them, leading to more extensive damage and danger.
- Legal Consequences: In some areas, failing to maintain working detectors can lead to legal liabilities and penalties.
6. Cleaning Dryer Vents
Your dryer vent may not be something you think about often, but ignoring it can lead to severe consequences:
- Fire Hazard: Lint buildup in dryer vents is a significant fire risk and a backed-up vent can lead to house fires.
- Reduced Dryer Efficiency: Clogged vents make your dryer less efficient, which means longer drying times and increased energy consumption.
- Costly Repairs: Neglected vents can damage your dryer, requiring costly repairs or replacements.
7. Sealing Cracks and Gaps
Gaps around windows and doors might seem minor, but they can lead to significant issues:
- Higher Energy Bills: Gaps allow drafts to enter, making your HVAC system work harder to maintain a comfortable temperature, leading to increased energy bills.
- Reduced Comfort: Drafts can make your home less comfortable and affect your and your family’s well-being.
- Potential Pest Infestations: Gaps can be an entry point for pests such as insects and rodents.
8. Inspecting the Foundation
Your home’s foundation is the bedrock of its structural integrity. Check it regularly to help prevent costly issues:
- Structural Damage: Foundation problems can lead to cracks in walls and ceilings, uneven floors, and even doors that don’t close properly.
- Decreased Home Value: Foundation issues can significantly reduce the value of your home and make it less attractive to potential buyers.
- Extensive Repairs: The longer you delay addressing foundation problems, the more expensive and complex the repairs become.
9. Cleaning Refrigerator Coils
Your refrigerator is a workhorse in the kitchen, so regular maintenance is needed to keep it working efficiently. An often-neglected task is cleaning its coils, which can lead to several issues:
- Increased Energy Consumption: Dirty coils make your refrigerator work harder, increasing energy consumption and electricity bills.
- Reduced Lifespan: Neglecting maintenance can lead to the premature failure of your refrigerator, requiring a costly replacement.
- Inefficient Cooling: Dirty coils can result in inadequate cooling, potentially spoiling your food.
10. Servicing Your HVAC System

To keep your HVAC equipment running in tip-top shape, it needs regular attention, too. Routine maintenance—like a Goettl Rejuuuvenation®—can help prevent:
- Costly Repairs: Neglect can lead to equipment breakdown, requiring expensive repairs or replacements.
- Reduced Lifespan: Regular maintenance can extend the lifespan of your equipment, saving you money in the long run.
- Inefficient Operation: Neglected equipment may not operate efficiently, leading to an uncomfortable home and higher energy bills.
Neglecting home maintenance tasks can have serious consequences, both financially and in terms of your family’s safety and comfort. By addressing these tasks regularly, you can protect your home, increase its value, and save money in the long run.
Get ahead of your to-do list with help from Goettl!
Don’t wait until it’s too late to address neglected home maintenance tasks. For routine maintenance of your HVAC equipment and plumbing systems, trust the experts at Goettl to help keep your home comfort in tip-top shape. Protect your investment and ensure your home remains a safe and comfortable place to live by contacting Goettl today!
Testimonials
What Our Customers Say About Us






This week the HVAC tech, Deano came to do the winter service. I knew my system was old, and Deano was courteous when explaining all the things my system needed. He patiently walked through the options and helped me determine a realistic solution for my home and for my budget! In the end I wound up getting a replacement system, Mike helped walk me through the financing options which were doable for me.
Goettl does a great job! With techs like Deano and Mike they are truly an asset to the company and give me peace of mind for my home.


He was my technician from another company. I’m always happy with his service that’s why I’m following him.
Thank you Colby , you are the best technician I’ve ever had .
I really do appreciate your work!!


He arrived promptly and was very professional.
We are first time customers and from now on we are calling Goettl for all our plumbing needs.
Thank You.



Andrew came in and unclogged the bathroom sink and cleared out the line . We used the Smart Sadie program for it.
Thanks Andrew and Ian and Goettl!








Overall, an awesome tech. I would love for him to be my designated technician for any future service calls for my AC unit. Thank you for a wonderful experience!


I’m very happy with the seamless experience.



Frank did an excellent job at explaining every thing in terms that were understandable to both myself and my wife. This greatly assisted in making the right decision to look at all options on either repair or update/purchase for the future and in the long term, saving money.
Jose Carreon was the tech who was dispatched to look into a problem of a brand new system not working correctly after a new install. Jose was very methodical in his approach and found the actual issue which was not an install issue except the settings of the thermostats which were replaced and installed by Goettl. Jose's complete inspection and patience resolved the problem and he went the extra mile of calling a supervisor for a second opinion. The system is now running as it should!!! Thanks Jose!!


Great communication





Call Goettl and was able to get us on the schedule due to a cancellation they had.
Jef Eusepi our tech was fantastic.
He explained everything and showed us pictures of what he was doing and fixing.
Would definitely recommend this Company and Jef.



I am very thankful for their help today.









Thanks Goettl and more importantly, thanks Blair!





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Update 4/21/25 - Mike did a wonderful job. Made suggestion to keep my system running well for more years to come.
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Update: 12/3/24 - Jacob is great. He fixed the leaking parts on water softener and also checked the water heater to see what can be done with that. He is efficient and very knowledgeable and reviews everything so you understand.
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Update: 7/25/24 - had some more work done today. The folks who come to service, install, etc. are great. They know their job, are very efficient and friendly. Today it was Justin and Luis who were installing a new filter system. Looking forward to not have to change filters every month. Thank you, gentlemen, for all the hard work in the heat.
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They said I needed to replace my a/c. I was given a choice of 5 units. I liked that the 2nd most expensive would balance the temperature in my house. I get full west in my living room in the afternoon. It is always 10 plus degrees hotter on my sofa, than rest of house. So I paid a fortune and it isn't doing what he said it would. They came back and added another vent to my living room. Better, but still not what I was told. I could saved $10k and got the cheaper model. Don't think I have much recourse to get this fixed. The technicians are very good, too bad their salesmen and products are not up to the same standard.






Thank you!!!










Thank you Ian for my maintenance today!
March 2, 2024
Thank you Aaron for my garbage disposal! A big shout out to Mark and Ricky in dispatch for coming through and getting this done in a timely fashion to ensure I was prepared for my company coming to dinner. I love goettl and their service! Proud to be part of club Sadie!
March 2025
Always return back to Goettl because of how well they take of me! Thanks to Judd for installing my new toilet and to Marc for my AC maintenance!
November 2025
Thank you to Gerardo for educating me on hot water heater flushing! Lol. I always appreciate geottl for their customer service and knowledgeable techs!

























A special shout-out goes to Pablo, our technician. He was on time, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable. Pablo took the time to explain everything he was checking, walked me through the condition of each component, and gave helpful tips on how to keep our system running efficiently year-round. His attention to detail and pride in his work really stood out. Because of his professionalism and the overall quality of service, Goettl has definitely earned my trust and future business.
Highly recommend Goettl HVAC—and if you can, ask for Pablo!

I have seen Goettl vans all over town and so I called them.
Got appointment right away and the Technician, Jef Eusepi, took care of our problem.


He was knowledgeable and friendly and was able to flush the tank and get my hot water flowing again. Thanks again...



(Oldest)Jared was great. Got here promptly and fixed it quickly. Lifesaver on a 100+ degree day!

















Mike provided truly exceptional service. From the moment he arrived, it was clear he was extremely knowledgeable; he quickly and confidently diagnosed a very tricky issue that we had with our pipes, explaining everything clearly and answering all of our questions with patience. He also installed our new water heater and did an outstanding job. If you need a plumber who gets the job done right the first time, we highly recommend Mike. Thank you!









Thank you,
Greg Sanches





















This past week our service technician was Andrew Morgan and he is such a friendly, knowledgeable, and skilled technician. He spent time making sure the job was done correctly and he explained it in terms that I could understand. Not only is our unit functioning even better than before, I also gained knowledge of how the system works.













I highly recommend Goettl as this is the second time l've used them in less than a year. (2 seperate issues)... and I highly recommend them..anytime and anyday.
They have exceeded to top any expectations I could have ever had with any company.


Jerry also noticed our water pressure was low after flushing toilet then trying to wash hands in bathroom sink which were so he suggested a new pressure regulator as we have had a new better water conditioning system installed. We now have the best water pressure even when using a shower and kitchen sink faucet at the same time. Also Jerry is a master plumber and we appreciate his knowledge and experience. Will definitely call Goettl again when a plumber is needed.
Ralph & Kathy Lesmeister



Darean Guerra today. He arrived on time and took the time to explain what he was going to do. He was very knowledgeable which helped me trust what he was doing. He left his work area clean. I am very pleased with his work.









The company is installing a tankless heater and the customer service is outstanding.
I recommend Geottl to all!


They made sure my carpet was covered and when they were all through they cleaned up perfectly
I would recommend your company to anyone looking to put in a new air conditioner.
Thank you so much for all you did for me.
Sincerely, June Jones

And I would highly recommend the company and the quality technicians like Jarod.
Jarod is the go to if you want excellent
Customer service and communication for any AC related issues. He is very knowledgeable, personable and trustworthy. I am grateful and satisfied.







They listened to my issue, were very through, checked for leaks, etc. I’ve lived in Lakeway for 30 years, used MANY local plumbers - but Goettl will definitely get all my business moving forward. HIGHLY recommend!
Ty, Wil & Adrian!

Everyone from the Goettl sales representative Christian, Tech / Advisor Josias recommended a HVAC A/C and Heating system replacement. Technicians team Veronica and her partner.

Jeremy Canchola serviced our mini-split today with the usual Goettl efficiency and professionalism.
Highly recommended!



