HouskareElectrics
Solar panels
- Recommended maintenance
- Cleaning and inverter check once a year
- Why it matters
- Dirty panels can lose a noticeable share of their output.
Looking after your home, item by item.
When to act, and why it matters. No jargon, for everyone who isn't a DIY expert.
The maintenance calendar, season by season.
Spring
March to May
- Inspect the roof and gutters after winter
- Restart the pool and irrigation
- Clean the heat pump's outdoor unit
- Check the electric gate and its sensors
Summer
June to August
- Test the pool water weekly
- Clean the solar panels
- Wait until after nesting season to prune
- Check the window seals
Autumn
September to November
- Have the boiler serviced before the cold
- Have the chimney swept
- Clear the gutters once the leaves have fallen
- Winterise the pool and drain the irrigation
Winter
December to February
- Test the smoke detectors
- Change the ventilation filters
- Keep an eye on boiler pressure
- Check the alarm panel and batteries
Item by item.
Your home may have fewer items, or many more: in your logbook you keep what applies and add the rest.
Roof, walls, windows
Roof
- Recommended maintenance
- Inspection every 2 years, moss removal about every 5 years
- Why it matters
- One slipped tile is enough for a costly leak.
Heating
Chimney and stove
- Recommended maintenance
- Sweeping at least once a year (check local rules)
- Why it matters
- Insurers often ask for the sweeping certificate after a claim.
Roof, walls, windows
Gutters
- Recommended maintenance
- Clean in autumn, once the leaves have fallen
- Why it matters
- A blocked gutter sends water down the walls and into the foundations.
Roof, walls, windows
Windows and shutters
- Recommended maintenance
- Check seals and tracks yearly, grease the shutters
- Why it matters
- A tired seal lets heat escape all winter long.
Air
Ventilation (MVHR)
- Recommended maintenance
- Filters every 6 months, vents cleaned twice a year
- Why it matters
- Clogged ventilation lets damp and mould settle in.
Safety
Smoke detector
- Recommended maintenance
- Press the test button monthly, battery per model
- Why it matters
- The only appliance in the house that wakes you up in a fire.
Safety
Alarm system
- Recommended maintenance
- Yearly check of the control panel and batteries
- Why it matters
- One flat sensor and the alarm protects nothing.
Electrics
EV charger
- Recommended maintenance
- Visual check and test of its dedicated RCD once a year
- Why it matters
- It draws high power every night: its circuit must stay flawless.
Heating
Boiler
- Recommended maintenance
- Yearly service by a professional
- Why it matters
- Mandatory in several countries and required by most manufacturer warranties.
Water
Water heater
- Recommended maintenance
- Check the anode and safety valve
- Why it matters
- Regular descaling adds years to its life.
Electrics
Fuse box
- Recommended maintenance
- Test the RCD monthly, inspection before selling or letting
- Why it matters
- An RCD that no longer trips protects no one.
Water
Water softener
- Recommended maintenance
- Refill salt, disinfect once a year
- Why it matters
- Left alone, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria.
Heating
Heat pump
- Recommended maintenance
- Yearly check, refrigerant leak test depending on size
- Why it matters
- Regular servicing protects its efficiency and its warranty.
Garden
Trees and hedges
- Recommended maintenance
- Trim hedges once or twice a year, prune outside nesting season
- Why it matters
- A branch too close to the roof damages tiles and gutters in every storm.
Garden
Lawn and irrigation
- Recommended maintenance
- Drain the system before frost, restart in spring
- Why it matters
- A frozen pipe can burst under the lawn.
Pool and access
Swimming pool
- Recommended maintenance
- Weekly water test in season, winterising in autumn
- Why it matters
- A botched winterisation shows up in spring: liner, filter, pump.
Pool and access
Electric gate
- Recommended maintenance
- Grease and safety check once a year
- Why it matters
- Safety sensors stop it closing on a child or a car.
Detailed guides are currently available in French. Rules and frequencies vary by country: see rules by country.
Your home, looked after without thinking about it.
Start your logbook: Houskare reminds you of every service at the right time.