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Winter Home Maintenance Checklist for Cold-Climate Homes

Most winter damage in cold climates comes from a short list: frozen pipes, a furnace that quits, drafts, and the fire and carbon monoxide risks of heating season. An afternoon in the fall covers almost all of it.

Published 4 min read

Do this list in the fall, before the first hard freeze. Each item says why it matters and where the advice comes from.

Outside

  • Disconnect garden hoses from outdoor taps and store them indoors or in the garage (Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor). A hose left on can trap water in the tap.
  • Shut off and drain outdoor taps if they have an indoor shut-off valve: close it, then open the outdoor tap to let it drain.
  • Clean the gutters and check the downspouts carry water away from the foundation.
  • Look at the roof from the ground with binoculars for missing or lifted shingles. Leave climbing to a roofer.

Pipes

  • Know your main water shut-off and make sure it turns. If a pipe freezes or bursts, it’s the first thing you’ll need. See How to shut off your water, power and gas.
  • Insulate exposed pipes in crawl spaces, garages and unheated basements.
  • On the coldest nights, open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so room air reaches the pipes, and keep a small, pencil-thin stream running from one faucet when temperatures reach zero or below (Indiana OUCC).
  • When you travel, keep the heat on. Indiana’s advice is no lower than 55°F, and Salt Lake City’s utility says above 65°F for multi-day absences. Follow your own utility’s number, and have someone check the house.
  • If a pipe freezes, shut off the main, call a plumber, and never thaw a pipe with a torch or any open flame.

Heating

  • Check the furnace filter. ENERGY STAR says to inspect, clean or change it once a month during heating season.
  • Book a pre-season check-up. ENERGY STAR recommends a yearly professional check of the heating system, best in the fall. For gas furnaces, that’s a licensed technician’s job.
  • Have chimneys and wood stoves cleaned and inspected every year by a professional (US Fire Administration).
  • Space heaters: keep anything that can burn at least 3 ft away, and turn them off when you leave the room or go to bed (US Fire Administration).
  • Never heat your home with a gas range or oven (Ready.gov).
  • Test the thermostat and replace its batteries if it has them. See Install a smart thermostat if you’re upgrading.

Drafts and insulation

  • Find leaks: on a cold or windy day, hold a tissue near window and door frames. If it moves, there’s a leak.
  • Seal them. Natural Resources Canada calls air leakage control the single most important retrofit you can do. Seal from the inside first. Use caulk on joints that don’t move, and weatherstripping on doors and windows that open.
  • Check combustion air. NRCan warns that a tighter house leaves less air for fuel-burning appliances, and a chimney or flue can then spill dangerous gases into the house. If you seal a lot, have your heating contractor check venting and ventilation.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

  • Test smoke alarms every month, and replace any alarm 10 years after its manufacture date (US Fire Administration). The date is on the back.
  • Smoke alarms belong inside and outside every bedroom and on every level, including the basement (US Fire Administration).
  • CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas, battery-operated or with battery backup (CPSC). Interconnected alarms are best: when one sounds, they all do.
  • Generators: never run one in the house or garage, even with the doors open. Keep it outdoors and at least 20 ft from windows, doors and attached garages (Ready.gov).

Indoors

  • Clean the dryer vent and lint trap.
  • Run the sump pump by pouring water into the pit, if you have one.
  • Stock the basics: flashlights, batteries, a few days of water, and salt or sand for steps.

Sources

  1. Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor. Preventing frozen pipes Source
  2. Salt Lake City Public Utilities. Prevent frozen pipes Source
  3. ENERGY STAR, US Environmental Protection Agency. Maintenance checklist (heating and cooling) Source
  4. Natural Resources Canada. Keeping the Heat In, Section 4: Comprehensive air leakage control in your home Source
  5. US Fire Administration (FEMA). Smoke alarms Source
  6. US Fire Administration (FEMA). Heating fire safety Source
  7. US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Carbon Monoxide Information Center Source
  8. Ready.gov (FEMA). Winter weather Source

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