Edmonton doesn't really ease into winter. One week the leaves are turning, and the next you're scraping your windshield at 7 a.m. A couple of hours of work in October can save you a frozen pipe, a dead furnace or a soggy basement come spring.
Here's the checklist I'd run through before the first real cold snap.
1. Get the furnace serviced, and check the filter
Book a furnace tune-up now, before every HVAC company in the city is booked out. Then check your filter every month through the winter and replace it when it looks dirty. A clogged filter makes your furnace work harder and costs you more to run.
2. Clear your furnace and water heater vents
Most newer homes have two plastic pipes on the side of the house: the furnace and water heater intake and exhaust. Make sure nothing is blocking them now, and check them after big snowfalls or drifts. A blocked vent can shut your furnace off or push exhaust back into the house.
3. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Press the test button on every alarm. Replace batteries if yours use them, and check the expiry date printed on each unit. CO alarms don't last forever. If you have a gas furnace, water heater, fireplace or attached garage, you want a working CO alarm.
4. Set up your humidifier
Our winter air is extremely dry. If you have a furnace humidifier, replace the pad and turn the water supply back on. As it gets colder outside, turn the humidity down. Frost or water collecting on the inside of your windows means it's set too high. Many people leave it around 30% for most of the winter.
5. Shut off and drain outdoor taps
Disconnect every garden hose. A hose left attached can trap water and freeze the tap, even a "frost-free" one. If your outdoor taps have a shut-off valve inside the house, close it and open the outside tap to let it drain.
6. Blow out the sprinkler system
If you have underground sprinklers, get the lines blown out before freeze-up. Water left in the lines can crack pipes and heads, and you won't find out until you turn it on in May.
7. Clean eavestroughs and extend downspouts
Wait until most of the leaves have fallen, then clear the eavestroughs. Make sure every downspout has an extension that carries water away from the house. When the snow melts in spring, that water needs somewhere to go other than your basement.
8. Check the grading around your foundation
The soil around your house should slope away from the foundation. If it has settled into a dip, add soil before the ground freezes. It's one of the cheapest ways to avoid spring water problems.
9. Seal up drafts
Walk around on a windy day and feel for drafts at doors and windows. New weatherstripping and a tube of caulking are cheap and make a noticeable difference to your heating bill.
10. Protect your pipes and know where the shut-off is
Pipes in unheated areas like crawl spaces, garages or outside walls can freeze. Insulate the ones you can reach. Also find your main water shut-off valve now, so you're not searching for it during an emergency.
11. Test the sump pump
If you have a sump pump, pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure it turns on and drains. Better to find a dead pump in October than in April.
12. Get ready for snow
Have shovels, ice melt or grit ready before the first snowfall. The City of Edmonton asks homeowners to clear the sidewalks around their property as soon as possible after it snows. Leaving it can get you a $100 fine plus the cost of the city clearing it.
Thinking about selling in the spring?
Winter is a great time to knock out the small fixes buyers notice. That means things like drafty windows, a furnace without service records, or poor grading. If you want a second opinion on what's worth doing before you list, feel free to reach out.