Fall home maintenance checklist

Schedule annual pre-season service before regular heating use. ENERGY STAR recommends checks of controls, electrical connections, airflow, burners, fuel connections, and heat exchangers where they apply.

Check the filter monthly during heavy heating use. Clean a reusable filter or replace a disposable one when it looks dirty, using the size and type listed by the equipment manufacturer.

If the fan manufacturer provides a winter setting, follow its directions and use a low speed. Stop the fan if it creates an uncomfortable draft; not every room or fan benefits from seasonal reversal.

Remove leaves and debris, then confirm that downspouts drain away from the foundation. Clean gutters manage roof runoff, but ice-dam prevention depends mainly on controlling heat loss and air leakage at the roof and attic.

Inspect from the ground for missing or damaged roofing, loose flashing, and visible problems around chimneys, vents, and skylights. Use a qualified roofer for closer inspection or repairs instead of climbing onto the roof.

Look for new or widening cracks, settlement, heaving, loose material, ponding, and trip hazards. Use a repair product only when it matches the surface and condition. Diagnose continuing movement or drainage before filling the surface.

Check fixed joints around windows, doors, penetrations, and material transitions for gaps, failed adhesion, or staining. Identify the joint and drainage path before repair. Use weather stripping on moving parts, and use EPA lead-safe practices if the work could disturb paint on a pre-1978 home.

Clean, dry, and store patio furniture and garden tools in a garage or shed. Cover items that must stay outside with weatherproof covers, following the manufacturer's storage instructions for grills and other fuel-burning equipment.

Remove, drain, and store outdoor hoses. Follow the plumbing or faucet instructions for shutting off and draining exterior hose bibs so trapped water has room to expand if it freezes.

Inspect supply pipes in basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages, and exterior walls. Add pipe sleeves or another listed insulation product where the line is exposed to cold, following the product directions.

Identify the installed controller, valves, drains, backflow assembly, and winterization procedure. Follow those instructions before local freezing conditions. Compressed-air requirements and limits vary, so use an irrigation professional when a blowout is required or the procedure or device is uncertain. Do not add automotive antifreeze.

Confirm compaction or thin turf, identify the underlying site problem and grass type, and use current local extension and product-label guidance for timing. Mark irrigation, roots, rocks, and shallow utilities before powered equipment, and check pesticide labels for required intervals around seeding.

Continue mowing at the height recommended for your grass while it is growing. Mulch a light layer of leaves or remove heavier cover that blocks light and airflow, following local yard-waste rules.

Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly. Replace removable batteries at least yearly unless the alarm has a sealed long-life battery. Replace smoke alarms after 10 years and CO alarms on the schedule in their instructions.

Review the household emergency kit before winter storms. Ready.gov recommends water, food, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlights, batteries, first-aid supplies, medications, and items specific to the household.

Have a qualified chimney professional inspect the chimney and connected appliance each year before regular use. Cleaning and repair depend on the fuel, deposits, damage, appliance, and installed system. Keep combustible materials away and follow the operating instructions.