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Fall home maintenance checklist: 22 jobs before the first freeze
Fall is the one season where a skipped job turns into a winter repair. These are the jobs in the order the weather asks for them, from the first cool night to the first freeze, with how long each takes and what it protects.
Early fall: heat and water (September)
Book the furnace service now; the good technicians fill up by October.
- Have the furnace, boiler or heat pump serviced, and replace the filter. (Pro, about an hour.)
- Test the heat on a cool morning before you need it, so a dead igniter is found in September, not December.
- Flush the water heater and test the pressure relief valve. (30 minutes.)
- Check the washing machine hoses and the water heater base for rust or drips. (5 minutes.)
- Clean the dryer vent from the dryer to the outside hood. (30 minutes.)
- Have the chimney inspected and swept if you burn wood, and check the cap is on. (Pro.)
Mid fall: the outside (October)
After most of the leaves are down.
- Clean the gutters and downspouts; run a hose to check each one drains and sends water away from the foundation. (1 to 2 hours.)
- Rake leaves off the lawn, the window wells and the drains in the driveway.
- Walk the roof edge from the ground: lifted shingles, missing flashing, a loose satellite mount.
- Trim branches that hang over the roof or near the power line before snow loads them.
- Touch up exterior caulk around windows, doors, vents and where pipes and wires enter. (1 hour.)
- Check the grade: soil should slope away from the house. Fill low spots that will hold meltwater.
- Store patio furniture, the grill cover and the garden hoses; drain the hose reel.
- Service or store the mower; fill the snow blower and start it once.
Before the first freeze: pipes and drafts (late October to November)
Check the forecast; the first freeze in much of the northern United States comes in October.
- Shut off and drain outdoor faucets from inside; leave the outside valve open. Insulate hose bibs that have no shutoff.
- Blow out or drain the irrigation system.
- Insulate exposed pipes in the garage, crawl space and along outside walls.
- Replace worn weather stripping on doors and add a door sweep where you can see light.
- Close the foundation vents or cover them, and close the crawl space door.
- Reverse ceiling fans to clockwise on low.
- Replace smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries, and replace any alarm older than ten years. See how often to replace smoke detectors.
- Check the sump pump and clear its discharge line; it should run and stop when you pour in a bucket of water.
If you are away for the winter
- Keep the heat at 55°F or above and ask a neighbor to look in after a cold snap.
- Shut off the main water valve and drain the lines, or at least open cabinet doors on outside walls.
- Turn on freeze alerts for the house in Housemap, so a National Weather Service freeze warning for your town lands in your inbox with the three things to do.
How long it all takes
Two weekends. One for the inside (heat, water heater, vent, alarms) and one for the outside (gutters, caulk, outdoor water). The furnace service and the chimney sweep are the only jobs that need a pro for most houses.
Write the dates down. Next fall, a home maintenance log tells you the gutters were done November 2 and the alarms went in in 2019, and the list gets shorter every year.
Questions
When should I start fall home maintenance?
September for anything to do with heat and water, October for the outside once the leaves are down, and the week before the first forecast freeze for outdoor faucets, pipes and drafts.
What is the most important fall maintenance task?
Getting the furnace or boiler serviced before the first cold night, then draining the outdoor faucets before the first freeze. A burst hose bib is the most common winter plumbing repair.
Should I clean gutters before or after the leaves fall?
After, once most leaves are down, usually late October or early November. If your gutters fill early, do it twice.
Can I print this fall checklist?
Yes. Tap Print this page at the top. The checklist prints with tick boxes and without the menu and footer.
Sources
Related guides
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