As part of your annual home maintenance, there are a few steps you should take to keep your central cooling system running smoothly. Thankfully, you can do a lot of these tasks yourself. Use this checklist as a guide.

When even minor issues happen to your sewer or septic line, you can deal with a lot of nasty backups. Spotting a drainage backup isn't always as easy as you might think. Learning how to identify problems quickly will help you fix your sewer or septic lines as soon as possible.

If your current toilet seat is wobbly, chipped or just plain dingy, it's likely time to replace it. The entire process shouldn't take longer than 30 minutes and can be accomplished with tools you probably already have on hand. Follow this step-by-step guide.

Over time, natural minerals can settle to the bottom of your water heater tank and reduce its efficiency, shorten its life and potentially lead to clogs. Here's how drain your water heater — a task you should perform at least once a year.

A lot of homeowners make the mistake of ignoring their HVAC system until it breaks down. If you don't want to end up shivering in winter or sweltering in summer, it's a good idea to set up a preventative maintenance plan. Ready to get started on HVAC maintenance? Here's what you need to know.