Heat
The furnace, the thermostat and the filter.
- Before you turn on your heat
- Thermostat habits that wear out your furnace and raise the bill
- Filters: which one, how often, and the expensive-filter trap
- Heat pumps, boilers and baseboard heat
Tom Brennan · retired firefighter, 31 years
Keep the house running and the bills down.
Most big repair bills start as a twenty-minute job nobody told you about. One large-print manual: what to check each month, what it costs, and twelve repairs you can do yourself.
- 14-day money-back guarantee
- Secure checkout
- Instant PDF, large print
The manual
The Home Check Manual
A Retired Firefighter's Year-Round Plan to Keep Your House Running and Your Bills Down
A calendar for the whole house, one page a month, a chapter for every part of it, and twelve repairs you can do yourself.
What you get
- The Home Check Manual181 large-print pages · 12 monthly checks · 42 chapters$37
- Before you call the repairman10 problem cards: check first, fair price, what to say$9
- The 30-day bill cutOne small fix a day, with a tracker$7
- The fridge-door calendarThe whole year on one printable page$5
- Parts and supplies listTake it to the hardware store · 2026 prices, no brands$5
- Every future editionFree updates, no extra charge$10
Total value$73
You pay today$37
Get the manual14-day money-back guarantee · instant PDF · pay once
What's inside
The whole house, part by part.
Twelve monthly checks of about twenty minutes, then a chapter for every part of the house. Read the one that is due.
Cooling
The AC check most people skip.
- Before you turn on the AC
- Putting the AC to bed for winter
- The AC habits that cost you
Water
Where most of the expensive damage starts.
- The water heater: flush, temperature, and the valve nobody tests
- The main shut-off and the pipes that freeze
- The leaks you can't see
- Basements, sump pumps and standing water
Appliances
Ten good years instead of five.
- The dryer vent
- Washing machine hoses: the five-dollar flood
- The refrigerator: coils, seals and the temperature
- The stove and the self-clean cycle
Electrical
What to look at, and when to put the screwdriver down.
- Your breaker panel: know it before you need it
- Outlets that are warm, loose or buzzing, and GFCIs
- Extension cords and power strips
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Outside
Gutters, roof, grading and caulk.
- Gutters and downspouts
- The roof, from the ground
- Foundation, grading and where the water goes
- Outdoor faucets and hoses before the first frost
The bills and the people you hire
The money section.
- Reading your electric and gas bill
- What costs you money while it's switched off
- Repair or replace: the half-the-price rule
- Hiring someone without getting taken
Fix it yourself
Twelve repairs most people pay someone for.
- A toilet that keeps running
- A slow or clogged drain, without chemicals
- A dripping faucet
- A leak under the sink
Fix it yourself
Twelve repairs you never have to pay for
Each one with the tools and parts, the steps, what it saves you, and exactly when to stop and call.
A toilet that keeps running
30 min · saves $150+
A clogged drain, no chemicals
15 to 60 min · saves $150+
A dripping faucet
1 hour · saves $150+
Re-caulking the tub
2 hours · saves $100+
A hole in the drywall
1 hour, 2 days · saves $100+
Weatherstripping and a door sweep
1 hour · saves $100+
A jammed garbage disposal
15 min · saves $150+
A door that sticks
30 to 60 min · saves $100+
A leak under the sink
30 to 60 min · saves $150+
Swapping a thermostat
1 hour · saves $100+
A toilet that rocks
15 min to an afternoon · saves $150+
A shower head and aerators
20 min · saves $100+
"Saves" = a typical service call you don't have to pay for. Rough 2026 ranges.
Same house, two ways
Wait for it to break, or check it first
The usual way
Tom's way
The furnace dies on the first cold night
A twenty-minute check on a mild afternoon in October
A $5 washer hose floods the laundry room
Braided hoses fitted on a Saturday morning
The repairman says "you could fix it, but..."
You know the half-the-price rule before he arrives
The bill goes up and nobody knows why
You read the bill and find the leak
No computer skills needed
How it works
- 1
Pay once
No account, no subscription, nothing charged again.
- 2
Open your email
The manual arrives as a PDF within a minute or two.
- 3
Start tonight
Read it on a tablet or print it big. Start with the section you need first.
Why I wrote it down
The house was warning them for months.
For 31 years on a small-town fire department in rural Ohio, I walked into other people's houses on the worst day they ever had. A fire in the laundry room. A basement full of water at two in the morning.
What I remember most is how often the house had been warning them. The dryer took two cycles to dry towels. The toilet hissed all spring. The filter had been gray since March.
So I wrote down the check I do in my own 1910 farmhouse every month, and the repairs I would show you if I came over on a Saturday with a toolbox.
Every step is marked You or Pro, so you always know when to put the screwdriver down and call somebody.
Tom BrennanRetired firefighter, rural Ohio
No guesses
Every number in the manual says where it comes from
- DOE
- ENERGY STAR
- EPA WaterSense
- NFPA
- USFA
- CPSC
Before you buy
Questions
I'm not handy. Is it for me?
Yes. Most of the book is looking, listening and small habits. Every step is marked You (anyone can do it) or Pro (book someone), and the repairs say exactly when to stop.
What tools do I need?
For the monthly checks, a flashlight and a pencil. For the repairs, a basic toolbox (about $40 to $70) covers every You job; the parts list tells you what to buy.
I rent. Does it work for me?
Yes. The checks, the bills and the leak tests work in any home, and the "Make it fit your house" page explains what to report to your landlord.
Is it only for seniors?
No. It is for anyone with a house to look after. It is in large print so it is easy to read in a basement with a flashlight.
Is it a paper book?
No, it is an e-book: a large-print PDF. Read it on a tablet or print it and keep it in a binder by the furnace.
Will you charge me again?
No. You pay once. There is no account and no subscription.
Is it going to sell me gadgets?
No brands, no affiliate links. Most of the savings in the book cost nothing.
Is this professional advice?
It is general home-care education from public sources. Gas, electrical panel, roof and structural work are for licensed professionals, and the book says so.
What if it is not for me?
Email us within 14 days and we refund every dollar. No forms, no questions.
Something else? Write to brennantom09@gmail.com. We answer within a day.
Check it this month, before it breaks.
The Home Check Manual, the repairman cards, the 30-day bill cut, the fridge-door calendar and the parts list. One payment.
Get the manual · $37$37 · 14-day money-back guarantee
Getting ready for winter too? See The Winter Survival Manual.