Austin Home Maintenance Checklist by Season

When the clocks fall back, do three things before the first real cold front: test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, replace the HVAC filter, and have the heater serviced.

CPSC says to test alarms monthly. Put smoke alarms on every level, inside each bedroom, and outside sleeping areas. Put carbon monoxide alarms on each level and outside sleeping areas. Replace a smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old. NFPA says a sealed 10-year alarm that chirps should be replaced. Any other alarm needs a new battery at least once a year, and right away if it chirps. Use the battery list on the back of the alarm.

Austin Energy cites EPA guidance to replace filters every 60 to 90 days, and more often in months of heavy use. ENERGY STAR says to inspect, clean, or change the filter monthly. If you rent, ask the property manager who changes it. Austin Energy also recommends professional service for heating and cooling once a year. ENERGY STAR says to book the heating checkup in the fall, around the time change.

Clear leaves from gutters and downspouts before winter rain so water does not dump against the foundation. If you prune an oak now, paint the wound the same day. The months to avoid are February through June, in the spring section.

Austin Water starts with the shutoff. Find the valve on your side of the meter and keep it clear of debris. If you cannot find it, or it will not close, use the city valve in the meter box. Renters should ask the property manager. A meter key from a hardware store opens many boxes. Do not damage the wires under a smart meter lid.

Turn off outdoor faucets, take the hoses off, and cover the bibs with foam covers or towels. Turn off and drain automatic sprinkler systems. Insulate pipes in unheated or drafty spots such as attics and garages. For a tank or tankless water heater, follow the manufacturer's instructions. Close drafty windows and doors, and keep the garage door shut during a freeze.

During a freeze of one or two days, drip faucets so water keeps moving, and open the cabinets under sinks on exterior walls. If you will be away, shut the water off at the meter and set the thermostat to 65 degrees or higher. For a freeze longer than two days, use the updates Austin Water posts at the time.

If a pipe freezes, turn the water off first and open a faucet near the frozen section. Thaw with a hair dryer, a heating pad, or warm towels, starting at the faucet and working back toward the wall. Do not use an open flame. If the flow does not come back, or you find a crack, call a licensed plumber.

The least hazardous time to prune an oak is the coldest midwinter days. Paint every cut the same day. The spring section has the full oak wilt timing.

Have the air conditioner serviced before the first long run of heat. Austin Energy recommends that service once a year. ENERGY STAR says to check cooling in the spring and to have the condensate drain inspected. A plugged drain can cause water damage and throw off indoor humidity. Coil cleaning is part of that same checkup.

Do not prune or wound oaks from February through June. The Texas A&M Forest Service says to paint every wound immediately, in any month. A Forest Service how-to posted by Texas A&M AgriLife says the least hazardous times are the coldest midwinter days and extended hot periods in mid to late summer. Use wound paint or latex paint on cuts, fresh stumps, and damaged surface roots. If a storm breaks a limb inside the avoid window, paint the wound the same day.

When the clocks spring forward, clean the dryer vent. CPSC says to clean the lint filter before or after each load, confirm the outdoor flap opens while the dryer runs, and clean lint from the vent pipe at least once a year.

After hail or high wind, look from the ground for missing shingles and debris in the gutters. Check the outdoor condenser fins.

When the system runs most of the day, change the filter on the shorter end of the ranges in the fall section. Austin Energy says more often than every 60 to 90 days in heavy-use months. ENERGY STAR's monthly check still applies. Keep stored items from sitting against the outdoor unit between service visits.

In a long dry spell, look for soil pulling away from the slab and for new cracks in brick or interior walls. After a hard rain, look for standing water against the house and for downspouts that empty at the foundation. Clear gutters if they are packed.

After a storm, use the same ground-level roof check as in spring: missing shingles, exposed underlayment, and debris in the gutters.

Austin Fire points to the National Fire Protection Association home guide for wildfire prep. Clean roofs and gutters of dead leaves and debris, repair missing shingles, and keep leaves, mulch, and firewood off the walls and out from under decks. That guide starts with the first 5 feet from the house, then the area from 5 to 30 feet.