How to use the checklist
- Tick what your home has Jobs for things you don’t have, such as a septic tank or a fireplace, drop off the sheet.
- Choose month by month or by season Month by month puts a box under every month a job is due. By season lists the monthly checks first, then the spring and fall walk-throughs.
- Pick the month to start in, and print Or save it as a PDF. Tick each box as you go, and write the dates in the “every few years” table. There’s room for your home’s details too: the filter size, where the shutoffs are, and who to call.
- Shift the seasons to suit your climate The sheet puts spring jobs in April and fall jobs in October. Do the fall ones before your first freeze.
Every month
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: test each one with its test button (USFA for smoke alarms; First Alert says at least once a month for CO alarms). If one keeps chirping, see smoke detector beeping or carbon monoxide detector beeping.
- Furnace or AC filter: check it every month, especially in winter and summer, and change it if it looks dirty. Change it at least every 3 months either way (ENERGY STAR).
- GFCI outlets, the ones with TEST and RESET buttons in kitchens, bathrooms and outside: press TEST, then RESET. If the power doesn’t cut off and come back, have it replaced by a licensed electrician (Leviton).
- Fire extinguisher: the needle on the gauge should be in the green (Kidde, UGA Extension).
- Dishwasher and washer: an empty cleaning cycle in the dishwasher (GE) and the tub-clean cycle in the washer (LG). The dishwasher filter needs cleaning every 1 to 3 months: see how to clean a dishwasher.
Spring and fall
The University of Georgia Extension’s home maintenance checklist is built around two walk-throughs a year, one in spring and one in fall. Go round the outside, the roof line, the plumbing and the appliances, and fix small problems before they turn into water damage or a dead furnace.
| When | Jobs | From |
|---|---|---|
| Spring and fall | Clean the gutters and downspouts, so water lands 2 to 3 feet from the house; look over the roof, flashing and attic; check the siding, trim and foundation; check the weatherstripping and caulk; look for leaks; check the washer hoses; vacuum the fridge coils; clean the exhaust fan screens; test the garage door’s safety reverse | UGA Extension |
| Spring | A cooling checkup for central AC or a heat pump; ceiling fans counterclockwise | ENERGY STAR |
| Fall | A heating checkup; ceiling fans clockwise on low; drain the outdoor faucets and store the hoses before the first freeze | ENERGY STAR, USFA, UGA |
| Twice a year | Practice your fire escape plan; put new batteries in smoke and CO alarms that take them (Kidde suggests doing it when the clocks change) | USFA, Kidde |
ENERGY STAR suggests the cooling checkup in spring and the heating checkup in fall because contractors get busy once summer and winter arrive.
Once a year
- Tank water heater: drain a few gallons to flush out sediment (more often with hard water), test the temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve, and inspect the anode rod (A. O. Smith). The water from the valve is scalding, so keep clear of its pipe. Steps: how to drain a water heater.
- Chimney and wood stove: cleaned and inspected by a professional every year, before the first fire (USFA).
- Dryer vent duct: inspected and cleaned at least once a year (GE), and a gas dryer checked by a professional (USFA). See how to clean a dryer vent.
- Private well: test the water every year for coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH (EPA).
Every few years
| Job | How often | From |
|---|---|---|
| Replace smoke alarms | 10 years after the date on the back | USFA |
| Replace CO alarms | 7 to 10 years, depending on the model | Kidde |
| Replace a home fire extinguisher | Once it’s over 12 years old, or after use | Kidde |
| Septic system | Inspected at least every 3 years; the tank is typically pumped every 3 to 5 | EPA |
| Radon test | Every 2 years | UGA Extension |
| Water heater relief valve | Inspected by a professional every 5 years | A. O. Smith |
Which jobs need a professional
Most of the checklist is looking, testing and cleaning. Leave these to someone qualified: the heating and cooling checkups, which cover gas connections, refrigerant and electrical parts (ENERGY STAR); chimney sweeping; septic inspections and pumping; the yearly check of a gas dryer; and any GFCI outlet that fails its test.
For the appliances, the care calendar on My care list turns the same intervals into calendar reminders.
Questions people ask
What should be on a home maintenance checklist?
The safety checks (smoke and CO alarms, the fire extinguisher, GFCI outlets), the heating and cooling filter and checkups, the water heater, the outside of the house and the appliances. The checklist above leaves off anything your home doesn’t have.
How often should I change my furnace filter?
Check it every month and change it when it looks dirty, and at least every 3 months (ENERGY STAR). Reusable filters are cleaned instead.
What home maintenance should I do in the fall?
Book the heating checkup, clean the gutters, drain the outdoor faucets and put the hoses away before the first freeze, switch the ceiling fans to clockwise on low, and have the chimney swept if you burn wood.
How often should a water heater be flushed?
At least once a year for most tank water heaters, and more often in hard water (A. O. Smith). For a tankless heater, follow its manual.
How often should smoke detectors be tested?
Every month, with the test button, and replaced 10 years after the date on the back (USFA).
How often should washing machine hoses be replaced?
Whirlpool says to replace the inlet hoses after 5 years of use, and sooner if you find bulges, kinks, cuts, wear or leaks; write the date on new hoses. Check them in spring and fall (UGA Extension).
How often should I change the refrigerator water filter?
Every 6 months, or when the filter light comes on (Samsung, GE, Whirlpool), and sooner if the water or ice flow slows down (GE). LG sells its standard filter as a 6-month, 200-gallon filter; GE’s MWF is rated for 300 gallons.
Plain-English summary. Open the original instructions for the full procedure, and check that they cover your model before you start.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA), Maintenance Checklist: filters checked once a month; contractor checkups, cooling in spring and heating in fall, and what they cover. Heat & Cool Efficiently: check the filter every month and change it at least every 3 months. Ceiling fan usage tips: counterclockwise in summer, clockwise on low in winter.
- U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA), Smoke alarms: monthly tests, batteries, 10-year replacement. Heating fire safety: heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected by a professional each year. Fire Safety Checklist for Homeowners and Renters: practice the escape plan twice a year. Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings: wash the lint screen at least every 6 months; gas dryers inspected each year.
- University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, Home Maintenance Checklist (Circular 1082, reviewed March 2023): the spring and fall walk-throughs; gutters that discharge 2 to 3 feet from the house; outdoor faucets drained for winter; the fire extinguisher checked monthly; radon tested every 2 years.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, How to Care for Your Septic System: inspected at least every 3 years, pumped typically every 3 to 5. Protect Your Home’s Water: test a private well every year. Use and Care of Home Humidifiers: daily and every-third-day cleaning; clean and dry before storing.
- A. O. Smith, Water Heater Maintenance Guide: flush at least once a year, more often in hard water; the T&P valve checked yearly by the owner and every 5 years by a professional; the anode rod inspected yearly.
- Leviton, Do I need to test my GFCIs monthly? and How to test a Leviton GFCI: TEST, then RESET, every month; a GFCI that fails is replaced by a licensed electrician.
- Kidde, Fire safety in the home: check the extinguisher gauge monthly; replace extinguishers over 12 years old or after use. When should I replace my carbon monoxide alarm?: 7 to 10 years, by model.
- First Alert, How often to test carbon monoxide detectors: at least once a month.
- GE Appliances, How to Clean Your Dishwasher: a monthly cleaning cycle. Dryer: How to Clean Exhaust / Vent Duct: at least once a year. The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Your Oven: once or twice a year for most families.
- Bosch, Dishwasher Cleaning & Care: the filter and spray arms every few months; descaling a few times a year.
- LG, How to clean the tub of your LG washing machine: a monthly tub clean.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Are You Storing Food Safely?: check the refrigerator and freezer temperatures at least once a week.
- Whirlpool Product Help, Non Usage or Vacation Care for a Washing Machine: replace inlet hoses after 5 years. When to Change the Water Filter: every 6 months.
- Refrigerator water filters: Samsung US support, How to replace the water filter in a Samsung refrigerator: every six months; GE Appliances, MWF water filter instructions: every six months, 300 gallons; LG, LT1000P replacement water filter: 6 months / 200 gallons.
Checked October 15, 2026. Where your own owner’s manual gives a different interval, follow the manual.