Fall Maintenance Checklist

Clear out the gutters

• To prevent clogs, be sure to remove leaves and other debris from your drainpipes and gutters.

Check your furnace

• Sediment buildup can cause your system to work less efficiently or potentially become a fire hazard. Have your furnace inspected annually to reduce the risks.

Examine your air ducts

• Properly seal and insulate air ducts to make sure they are working to their fullest potential. This simple step can keep you from losing 20% of the air that moves through the duct system.

Prepare the water heater

• Drain the water heater to clear out any debris that has collected in the bottom of the tank.

Check for drafts

• Heat loss through windows is responsible for 25-30 percent of heating energy use, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. But it doesn't have to be that way, because weatherstripping is simple and probably the most cost-effective way to keep heating costs down.

Change your filters

• Another thing in your house that might be costing you more money then it should be. If your filters are clogged, it's harder to keep your home at the temperature you want it too be which will increase your heating bills. Disposable filters can be vacuumed one time before you replace it, and foam filters can just be vacuumed and not replaced.

Fertilize your lawn

• Roots are still active when the grass isn't growing, so applying fertilizer will prevent winter damage and make it greener in Spring.

Change your batteries

• Once a year you should be checking to make sure all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide devices are working. Since you're already testing everything else out, you might as well add this on.