Eight things to do before the first freeze
Small jobs, most of them free, that prevent the expensive ones. Work down the list on one fall weekend.
Change the furnace filter
A clogged filter makes the system work harder, and a badly clogged one can make it overheat and shut off. Hold yours up to the light. If you can't see light through it, replace it. Most 1-inch filters last one to three months in heating season. The size is printed on the frame.
Clear the gutters and check the downspouts
Wait until most of the leaves are down, then clear the gutters and run a hose through each downspout. If one dumps water at the wall, add an extension to carry it at least four feet out. Not comfortable on a ladder? This is a good job to hire out.
Unhook the garden hoses
A connected hose traps water in the spigot. When it freezes, it can split the pipe inside the wall, and you find out in spring. If you have a shut-off valve inside for the outdoor faucet, close it and open the outside tap to drain the line.
Seal drafts around doors and windows
Close an outside door on a dollar bill and pull. If it slides out with no resistance, the seal is worn. Weatherstripping and a door sweep are inexpensive and most people can replace them in an afternoon.
Check the roof from the ground
Use binoculars. Look for missing or curled shingles, dark patches, a sagging ridge line and metal flashing that has lifted around the chimney or vents. A lot of grit in the gutters means the shingles are wearing out. Small repairs are easier to schedule in fall than in the middle of winter.
Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Press the test button on each one. Swap the batteries unless the alarm has a sealed 10-year battery. Check the date on the back: smoke alarms should be replaced 10 years after they were made.
Trim limbs hanging over the roof
Snow and ice are heavy. Dead branches and limbs resting on the roof should come down before winter. Small and reachable from the ground is a weekend job. Large, high or near power lines is a job for an insured tree service.
Get the furnace checked
If nobody has looked at it in a year, book a check while schedules are still open. Heating companies get busy the week of the first cold snap, and that is the worst week to need one.