What does a house need once a year?

By Jeff Stowell · Oct 5, 2026 · 2 min read · maintenance seasonal furnace water heater smoke alarms

These are the jobs a house needs once a year, sorted by season. Most of them are small, and a few, like the furnace service and the alarm tests, are ones the safety agencies ask for.

What this means for your home

For your house, that's a furnace service and a new filter in the fall, with the filter size written down, the outside faucets drained before the first hard freeze, the water heater flushed in spring and the dryer vent cleaned in summer. It also means knowing the ages of the big systems, since a water heater past 10 years and a furnace past 15 are near the end of their lives.

Fall, before the heat comes on

Have the furnace serviced. The Consumer Product Safety Commission urges a yearly professional inspection of every fuel-burning appliance to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Change the furnace filter and write down the size. Then change it on the schedule the manual gives.
Clean the gutters once the leaves are down, and check that the downspouts carry water away from the foundation.
Shut off and drain outside faucets and the irrigation system before the first hard freeze. The Insurance Information Institute covers this in its cold-weather guidance.
Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The U.S. Fire Administration says to test alarms monthly, change batteries at least once a year, and replace the alarms every ten years.

Sources: Consumer Product Safety Commission: seasonal furnace inspection to prevent CO poisonings, Insurance Information Institute: Surviving severe cold weather, U.S. Fire Administration: Smoke alarms

Winter and spring

Winter

Watch the roof edge for ice dams after heavy snow. They mean heat is escaping into the attic. The University of Minnesota Extension explains why, and says sealing and insulating the attic is the long-term fix.
Check the filter again.
Find the main water shutoff and make sure it turns. The Insurance Information Institute says to learn where it is before you need it.

Spring

Flush the water heater and check its temperature and pressure relief valve. The EPA's WaterSense checklist lists both and says a professional can do it.
Look over the roof from the ground with binoculars for lifted or missing shingles.
Have the air conditioner serviced before the first hot week.
Check that the soil around the house slopes away from the foundation.

Sources: University of Minnesota Extension: Dealing with and preventing ice dams, Insurance Information Institute: Surviving severe cold weather, EPA WaterSense home maintenance checklist

Summer, and any time

Summer

Clean the dryer vent all the way to the outside. The U.S. Fire Administration says to clean the vent and exhaust duct, and to check that air is coming out of the outside vent while the dryer runs.
Check the caulk around windows and doors and the seal around the tub and shower.
Check the deck for soft boards and loose rails.

Any time

Keep a list of the ages of the big systems. By InterNACHI's chart, a water heater is near the end of its life past 10 years and a furnace past 15.

Sources: U.S. Fire Administration: Clothes dryer fire safety, InterNACHI: Home inspector's estimated life expectancy chart

What this doesn't tell you

The furnace inspection is a professional's job, and the EPA says a professional can flush the water heater and check its relief valve. Change the filter on the schedule your furnace's manual gives. The ages for a water heater and a furnace come from InterNACHI's chart.

Your next step, one thing to do in Lyle

Open the chat and tell Lyle your furnace filter size, or send a photo of the old filter with the size on its edge. Lyle reminds you when the next one is due, and if you tell it when the furnace was last serviced, it reminds you about the next service too.

Questions people ask

How often should a furnace be serviced?

Once a year, in the fall before the heat comes on. The Consumer Product Safety Commission urges a yearly professional inspection of every fuel-burning appliance to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

How often should I test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?

The U.S. Fire Administration says to test them monthly, change the batteries at least once a year, and replace the alarms every ten years.

When should I drain the outside faucets?

Before the first hard freeze, along with the irrigation system. The Insurance Information Institute covers this in its cold-weather guidance.

What do ice dams on the roof mean?

They mean heat is escaping into the attic. The University of Minnesota Extension says sealing and insulating the attic is the long-term fix.

How old is too old for a water heater or a furnace?

By InterNACHI's chart, a water heater is near the end of its life past 10 years and a furnace past 15.