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Fall Home Maintenance Checklist For Your Minnesota Home

Many homes have already seen a touch of snow already this fall…especially up north. Make sure your home is ready by following this checklist!

Remove all garden hoses from outside hose bibs.
Shut off outside hose bibs with shut off valve in mechanical room.
Shut down and blow out water lines for any outdoor showers, foot wash showers & lawn irrigation systems.
Make sure gutters and down spouts are clear of debris.
Plug in and turn on any heat tape cords that you may have for septic lines or gutter downspouts.
Turn on air exchanger(s) and set to low or intermittent settings so you do not over dry the interior of your home.
Turn on humidifiers (s). See table below for proper indoor humidity settings in relation to outdoor temperatures. It is very important to control your indoor humidity levels to prevent the wood from shrinking if too dry and condensation on windows if too humid.

Remove interior screens from windows to allow better warm air flow onto the glass to reduce condensation.
Do not cover windows with heavy window shades or coverings. Keep the window coverings open to allow warm air flow onto the glass to reduce condensation.
Clean or replace furnace and air exchanger filters. This is also a good time to check with your HVAC contractor for fall service.
Turn on in-floor heat boilers.
Turn on forced air furnace(s).
Inspect fireplaces, flues and fresh air intakes for proper operation.
Inspect smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors for proper operation.
Keep all foot and vehicle traffic off septic drain field areas and sewer line areas to prevent frost from penetrating.
Shut off your whole house water line valve (if equipped) to prevent leaks while you are away from your home.