Repair the gaps around doors and windows

More than 20 percent of the air that enters and exits your home does so around your windows and doors. To keep your heated (or cooled) air inside where it belongs, get some caulk and weather stripping and get to work. Sealing your windows and doors will help reduce your energy consumption and save money. It can also help delay replacing your windows and doors, which can cost thousands.

--Kudzu website

Seal basement walls with waterproofing materials.

Even if your home has never actually flooded, water can still seep in - especially if you have an inground basement. In fact, too much interior moisture can be a home's worst enemy and can damage the foundation, drywall, ceilings and floors... among other things. Sealing your basement's walls with a waterproofing compound will help protect your home from expensive water-related repairs. However, if your basement frequently floods, a sump pump is probably in order.

-Kudzu website

Check your crawlspace

Claustrophobic? Then you may not like this... You're about to find out why the area under your home is called a crawl space. It's important to regularly inspect this area, but it can keep some dirty little secrets. Look for pooling water or wet spots. Both can create foundation problems, and moisture in the crawl space can promote mold growth. Also look for live animals or signs of their presence. Word to the wise: tuck your pants into your boots to keep any insects or animals from crawling up your leg.

--Kudzu

Check your toilet's hoses and supply valves for leaks

SPOILER ALERT: The water in your toilet tank does NOT get there through osmosis, magic or miracles. It's actually delivered by a simple but important supply hose that's typically located at the back of the commode. Unfortunately this hose and the supply valve that connects it to your home's plumbing can deteriorate and begin to leak. Next time you're in your bathroom, take a second to look behind your toilet to ensure you don't have a leak. If you have one, contact a plumber who can inspect the problem and make repairs.

--Kudzu

What is a TPR valve?

A TPR (temperature pressure relief) valve is an important safety feature located on your water heater to prevent too much pressure from building up inside your tank and potentially exploding. Yes, this could happen, so be sure you have one in place along with a discharge pipe connected to it with an open end (codes usually state that the open end should be within 6" off the ground, to prevent discharge from spraying directly on someone).

Replace your air filter in your heating system

Filter, shmilter. Why do we have to change those pesky things so regularly? Well, the filter in your HVAC system has two main functions-first, it improves your home's indoor air quality. (By the way, the EPA estimates that the air inside your home can be 2 to 5 times WORSE than the air outside!) And second, it can keep your entire HVAC system clean. Dirt can clog your furnace's secondary heat exchanger or your a/c unit's evaporator coil. Either way, air flow gets restricted, and can cause overheating and premature failure of parts and even the entire system.

--Kudzu

Check your condensate lines

Be sure to check your condensate lines at your FAU occasionally for signs of damage or disconnections. This condensate line was broken off, probably because it is in the way of the filter access and someone tried to pull the filter out, thus hitting the line and breaking it. The problem is that the line was not repaired and had been leaking for some time, causing moisture damage below.

--James Stringer