The fall home maintenance checklist

Unhook every garden hose, drain it, and store it. If your outdoor faucets have an interior shut-off valve (often in the basement or a utility room, on the pipe that leads to the outside wall), close it, then open the outdoor faucet to let the line drain. Frost-free faucets don’t need the interior valve closed, but they do still need the hose removed. A connected hose traps water in the valve and defeats the design.

Turn off the water supply to the system and set the controller to off or standby mode. Draining depends on your system: some have manual or automatic drain valves, but most in colder climates need a compressed-air blowout. Unless you have a compressor that can deliver enough volume, this is a good job to book with an irrigation company. Book early as their fall calendars fill up quickly and missing this task can be costly in the spring.

Run the lawn mower until it’s out of fuel (or add stabilizer and fill the tank). This is also a great time to clean the deck and blade of any accumulated grass clippings to keep your garage or shed from becoming a composte bin. Drain rain barrels, and bring in ceramic or terracotta pots that can crack when wet soil freezes.

Wait until most of the leaves have fallen. Clear the gutters of any debris, then run a hose through each downspout to make sure it flows. Check that downspouts discharge at least a few feet from the foundation and check for any leaks at the attachment points. If you’ve had leaves clog the gutters before, consider doing this twice: once mid-fall and once after the last leaves drop.

Consider using binoculars so you don’t need to climb up. You’re looking for missing, cracked, or curling shingles, and for lifted flashing around the chimney, skylights and vents. If something looks off, have a roofer take a look before snow makes the repair harder to schedule and more expensive to fix. If your roof is steep or hard to spot from the ground, consider calling a pro for inspection.

Close a door on a sheet of paper. If it slides out easily, the weatherstripping is worn and should be replaced. You can also run your hand around the border of the door where it meets the jamb or hold a lit candle close by - if you can feel any cold air or see the flame dance it’s time to repair. Many homeowners don’t realize it but weather stripping should be replaced every 2-5 years depending on frequently a door is used. Remove and re-caulk any cracked exterior trim joints, and replace door sweeps that no longer touch the threshold. This is one of the cheapest efficiency improvements you can make as small cracks and spaces between your windows and doors account for up to 38% of your home’s lost heat.

Change the air filter before the heating season starts, then check it monthly while the system is running. Many filters claim to last for 6-12 months but can often require replacement sooner, especially if you live in an area with heavy smoke from seasonal fires. An annual professional inspection is worth it for gas furnaces in particular: the technician checks the heat exchanger and burners, which isn’t something to eyeball yourself. A tune-up is cheaper than an emergency repair in freezing temperatures.

Press the test button on every alarm. Many people change batteries when the clocks change in the fall, which makes a good reminder. Check the manufacture date on the back too: smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years, and most CO alarms every 5 to 7.

If you burn wood, have the chimney inspected before the first fire of the season. Creosote buildup is the main cause of chimney fires, and an inspection also catches animal nests and cracked flue liners. If you have a gas fireplace, an annual cleaning will ensure it continues to operate normally.

Check all air vent registers to make sure they are open and clear of any debris or blockages. Closed vents can limit airflow and can contribute to higher heating bills as your system runs longer trying to balance the temperature throughout your house as well as putting greater strain on the blower motor.

Sediment builds up at the bottom of a tank water heater, which makes it work harder and can shorten its life. Draining a few gallons from the valve at the bottom, or doing a full flush, once a year helps. Check your manufacturer’s instructions first, and turn the heater to vacation mode or off before you start. Call a pro if you aren’t comfortable and having the anode rod inspected can help prolong the unit’s lifespan.

If a pipe does freeze and burst this winter, the time it can take to find the main valve can be the difference in a mess and a disaster. Locate it now, make sure it turns, and tag it so anyone in the house can find it.