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Fall Maintenance for Minnesota | 2022

Fall Home Maintenance & Cleaning Checklist

It’s great that fall has arrived in Minnesota, but we all know what’s coming next. Fall is a good time to take care of big home repair projects before shorter days and colder temps make outdoor work too difficult. Take some time to clean and prepare your home for fall. If you haven’t started fall maintenance, get on it now. We’ve created comprehensive fall maintenance and cleaning checklist to help you get your home ready for another Minnesota winter. (Scroll to the bottom for the complete checklist)

Fall Maintenance house exterior Minnesota.

HVAC Fall Maintenance

  • Have your clothes dryer duct cleaned: Dryer vent cleaning improves dryer efficiency as well as protects your home from a possible fire. This service can either be scheduled with a Dean’s Home Services HVAC professional or completed during your furnace maintenance appointment.
  • Check for Bugs: Check the bathroom and kitchen exhaust dampers for wasp nests. Nests in these terminals will prevent the dampers from opening.
    Hose Down your Air Conditioner: Spraying down your air conditioner in the fall is a simple task that can keep it clean and ready for next year.
  • Replace the batteries in your thermostat: If your thermostat fails while you’re on vacation, you might come home to a winter wonderland. (Batteries can usually be found in older thermostats, want a more efficient option, consider switching to a smart thermostat)
  • Replace furnace filters: Filter replacement should usually be done every three months, depending on the type of filter. The arrow on the filter should point toward the furnace.
    Ceiling fan direction for winter: Now is the time to change your ceiling fan blade direction so that it rotates clockwise for the winter months.
Annual Maintenance and Indoor Air Quality Evaluation improves your home’s energy efficiency.

If you haven’t had your heating/cooling system checked, a tune-up and inspection is a great way to make sure your current one is working properly.

A qualified Minneapolis Home Heating professional can evaluate the overall efficiency of your furnace and give recommendations on how to improve it. If there are any problems with your furnace, they’ll be able to give you options to keep you comfortable for the season ahead.

Dean’s Home Services is currently offering $49 Furnace Maintenance and indoor air quality evaluation.

Plumbing Maintenance

Water and winter in Minnesota do not go hand in hand. Fall is the best time of year to make sure the plumbing system is running efficiently.

Start by having your water heater flushed. Water heater manufacturers suggest flushing your water heater every year to get rid of sediment build up inside of it. The water in your tank can bring in minerals that solidify on the bottom and sides of your water heater and, unless flushed out, can cause your water heater to fail.

You can flush your water heater by connecting a hose to the drain valve and running hot water through it, or you can open the drain valve on your cold water supply line. This will remove any sediment that may have built up inside of your heater, which could cause problems in the future.

Flushing your home water heater can be gross. If you’re a Dean’s Club Member, it’s a complimentary task completed during your annual Dean’s Club Plumbing evaluation.

Home Plumbing Tasks
  • Drain and shut off water to exterior faucets.
    Check for leaks. If you have a garden hose, run water through it to thaw any frozen pipes.
  • Shut off the main valve from inside your home if your pipes are still running after being outside for a few days or more.
  • If you have a lawn sprinkler system (aka “irrigation system”) it needs to be drained and blown out with compressed air. Hire a pro to do this.

Frozen-spigot-plumbing

Cleaning, Yard, and Winter Prep tasks

Here are some home cleaning and preparation reminders that are good to remember.

  • Fertilize and Aerate Your Lawn: Lawn aeration is the single most important task you can perform to maintain a healthy lawn. Lawn aeration creates extra pore space in the soil, allowing air, nutrients, and water to enter.
  • Get Paint and Caulk out of the garage: If you’ve been housing supplies from a project in the garage, now is the time to bring them inside. Paint doesn’t handle extreme temperatures very well. And while you’re at it, don’t forget the latex caulk. Freezing ruins both latex paint and caulk.
  • Get Your Yard Ready for Snowblowing Season: Remove rocks, dog tie-out cable, extension cords, holiday light cords, and garden hoses. Then stake out paths that run near gardens so you don’t accidentally suck up rocks and garden edging.
  • Seal up the leaks: Gaps in caulk and weatherstripping let cold air into your warm home, and sealing up a drafty house can save up to 20% on your heating bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. You can use caulking but weatherstripping is the easiest and most cost-effective way to get it done.
  • Clean Your Carpets: Especially if you have pets, fall is one of the best times to have your carpets cleaned. The humid days of summer have passed, but the below-freezing days of winter have yet to arrive. It’s the best time to open windows for ventilation, which should speed up the drying process. If you’re not comfortable operating a carpet cleaning machine, let a professional wrangle the bulky cleaning equipment.
  • Prune the Plants: Late fall is the best time to prune plants and trees — when the summer growth cycle is over. Your goal is to keep limbs and branches at least 3 feet from your house so moisture won’t drip onto roofing and siding, and to prevent damage to your house exterior during high winds.

Dean’s Home Services 2022 Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Like the feeling of checking off a completed task? Download and print our fall maintenance & fall cleaning checklist. The guide can be used to get your home ready for the changing of the season.

Fall Home Maintenance in Minnesota

For most people, maintaining their homes is a priority. You want to live in a safe and comfortable environment. If you are diligent about regular maintenance, it will help you do that. Regularly inspecting your furnace and heating system can also save on energy bills and prevent dangerous accidents from happening.

Keeping up with regular maintenance can help keep you safe over time—especially during the long winters in Minnesota!

Regular maintenance in your home will help keep you safe over time, especially during the long winters in Minnesota. If you have any questions about the checklist or would like more information on our services, please contact us today!

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