Your water heater is leaking
Find where the leak is coming from, shut off the right valve, check the tank age, and learn which leaks are a cheap fix and which mean the tank is finished.
The homwarden guides
When something in the house stops working.
32 guides to the problems homeowners search for most — written to be read while you’re standing in front of the thing that has gone wrong. Safe checks first, honest about when to stop and call someone, and always ending with the detail worth writing down before you forget it.
General guidance, not a substitute for a licensed professional, an inspection, or the manufacturer’s instructions.
Contents
Every guide, by system.
Plumbing
Slow drain, or something worse
One clogged sink is a Saturday job. Several fixtures backing up at once is a main line problem. Here is how to tell which one you have before it gets expensive.
The toilet won't stop running
A running toilet wastes water continuously and is usually one worn rubber part. Diagnose it in ten minutes with food colouring and fix it without a plumber.
Frozen pipes, before and after
The freeze prevention that actually matters, how to thaw a frozen pipe without causing a burst, and the one thing to find before winter: your main shutoff.
The water pressure dropped
That question splits the diagnosis in two. One fixture is a five-minute clean. The whole house points at a valve, a regulator, or a supply problem.
The October faucet job in DFW
The DFW average first freeze lands on November 22, so October is the month to winterize outdoor faucets. Disconnect every hose first, then add insulated covers.
When to winterize sprinklers in Texas
When should you winterize a sprinkler system in Texas? Protect the backflow preventer in DFW before the first freeze and drain exposed parts in October.
DFW first freeze checklist
Use this DFW first freeze checklist before November 22: protect pipes and outdoor faucets, cover the backflow preventer, and find your main shutoff.
Water leak detectors for Texas homes
Should a Texas home have a water leak detector and automatic shutoff? Compare sensor pucks and whole-home systems, where to place them, and what they cost.
Winterize a Dallas-Fort Worth pool
In Dallas-Fort Worth, winterizing a pool means freeze protection, not closing it: keep the pump running, set the freeze guard, and insulate exposed equipment.
HVAC
The AC runs, but the house won't cool
A short, safe checklist that solves a surprising share of no-cooling calls — and the specific symptoms that mean stop and call an HVAC tech now.
No heat — the furnace won't start
Six things to check before a cold night turns into an emergency call, plus the furnace symptoms that mean leave the house and phone the gas utility.
How often to change the air filter
Why the number on the box is wrong for most homes, how to pick a MERV rating without choking your system, and how to never guess the filter size again.
AC running nonstop in Texas heat
An AC that never shuts off in Texas heat is not always broken. Learn the 20-degree rule, what normal runtime looks like, and the symptoms that need a technician.
The October furnace check in Texas
Fall is the time to service your furnace in Texas after months idle. What a DFW tune-up costs, what the tech checks, and the carbon monoxide risk it prevents.
When to turn on the heat in Texas
When should Texas homeowners turn on the heat? Test your system in October in DFW, before the first cold front, and learn which first-run smells are normal.
Roof & exterior
Finding the source of a roof leak
Water travels before it drips. Learn to trace a leak back to its real entry point, why flashing is the usual suspect, and what to document for your insurer.
Water in the basement after rain
Most wet basements are a roof drainage problem, not a foundation problem. Work outward from the gutters before anyone quotes you for waterproofing.
Foundation watering in Texas clay
Dallas-Fort Worth sits on expansive clay that swells and shrinks with every dry spell. Here is how steady moisture and a soaker hose keep a slab stable.
Best home management app for Texas homeowners
Choosing a home management app for a Texas home means matching the tool to the climate. Here is what to track, and what matters less than it sounds.
Free home management apps that are actually free
Most home apps hide maintenance reminders behind a subscription. Here is which free home management apps are truly free, and what Texas homes need from one.
Fall ryegrass overseeding in Texas
Warm-season Texas grasses turn brown from November through March. When to overseed with ryegrass in DFW, annual vs perennial seed, rates, and the watering schedule.
How often to clean gutters in Texas
How often should Texas homeowners clean their gutters? Twice a year in DFW, more often under heavy tree cover, with fall as the key cleaning.
Appliances
The dryer needs two cycles
A dryer that runs hot but dries slowly is nearly always a blocked vent line — which is also a genuine fire risk. How to check it and clear it yourself.
Water sitting in the dishwasher
Standing water after a cycle is usually a clogged filter, a blocked drain hose, or a garbage disposal knockout plug nobody removed. Check them in this order.
Repair or replace a broken appliance
Use the 50 percent rule, typical lifespans, and a warranty check to decide whether to repair or replace a washer, dryer, or dishwasher in Texas.
Electrical
An outlet stopped working
Dead outlets are usually a tripped GFCI somewhere else in the house, not a wiring fault. Here is the order to check, and when to call an electrician.
Generators and surge protection in Texas
Texas outages and voltage surges damage boards and appliances. Compare generator types, panel surge protection, typical costs, and the records to keep.
Space heater tripping the breaker in Texas
A 1,500-watt heater draws 12.5 amps on a 15-amp circuit, so one more device trips it. Learn the math, the safe fixes, and when to call an electrician in Texas.
Moisture & air
That musty smell
A musty odour is microbial growth, and growth means moisture. Find the water source rather than masking the smell — plus when testing is worth paying for.
Seal drafty windows and doors in Texas
Seal drafty windows and doors in a Texas home before winter with caulk, weatherstripping, and a door sweep, and keep cooled air inside through the summer too.
Safety
The smoke alarm keeps chirping
Why it always starts at night, how to tell a chirp from an alarm, when an alarm has simply expired — and why a CO alarm sounding is never a battery problem.
Home management apps with the best maintenance reminders
Maintenance reminders are the feature that makes a home management app worth opening. Here is what good reminders cover, and what Texas weather adds to the list.
The chimney check before the first fire
Fire safety codes say yes: inspect the chimney every year, even one you barely use. What a Level 1 inspection covers, what it costs, and when to call a sweep now.
Home management app vs. spreadsheet
A spreadsheet records past work but never tells you what is due next. Compare it with a home management app, and see which one keeps a Texas home on schedule.
Home management apps for first-time Texas homeowners
New to owning a home in Texas? How a home management app for first-time homeowners builds your first-year schedule, from filters to freeze prep.
Choosing a home management app in Texas
Learn how to choose a home management app for a Texas home, with checks for reminders, home records, freeze prep in October, AC care, and total cost.
What a home management app does
What is a home management app? How it builds a maintenance schedule, sends reminders, and stores records for Texas homes in Dallas-Fort Worth.
The best home app for iPhone
What is the best home app for iPhone? An honest comparison of Homwarden, HomeZada, Homer, and Apple Home on price, records, and daily upkeep.
Home management apps for Texas rentals
What is the best home management app for rental properties in Texas? Track turnover work, repairs, and records for DFW rentals in one place.
October home reset for Texas homes
An October home reset for Texas homes: test alarms, run the heat, clear gutters, and update the records you keep for each system before the first freeze.
Home management app for a Texas home inventory
Build a home inventory for insurance in Texas with a home management app: photos by room, serial numbers, receipts, and warranty dates kept in one place.
Home management app for warranty tracking
Track appliance warranties, receipts, and coverage end dates in Texas with the best home management app, so repair calls start with the facts instead of a search.
Home management app for seasonal maintenance
The best home management app for seasonal maintenance in Texas keeps filters and freeze prep on one schedule, so no seasonal task slips before the first freeze.
Everything your home needs.
The fix is the easy part. Remembering it is the hard part.
homwarden keeps maintenance, appliances, warranties, receipts, and home records together — filed with the equipment they belong to.