Seasonal home maintenance checklist: what to do each spring, summer, fall and winter

Most expensive home repairs start as a small job someone forgot: a gutter that overflowed, a filter that clogged, a dryer vent full of lint. The fix is not a weekend of chores twice a year. It's a short list for each season, done a little at a time.

Here's what to focus on, season by season. Times are rough guides for a typical house.

Spring: recover from winter

• Clean the gutters and downspouts (1 to 2 hours). Spring rain finds every clog. Make sure downspouts carry water at least 4 feet from the foundation.
• Look over the roof from the ground (15 minutes). Binoculars help. Look for missing, curled or cracked shingles and loose flashing around the chimney and vents.
• Book the AC tune-up before the first hot week, when technicians are booked solid.
• Flush the AC condensate drain line (15 minutes). A cup of vinegar down the line stops algae from clogging it and overflowing.
• Check sprinkler heads (30 minutes). Run each zone and fix broken or tilted heads before they waste water all summer.

Summer: keep things cool and clean

• Change the HVAC filter. Summer is when your system works hardest; a fresh filter keeps it efficient.
• Clean the refrigerator coils (20 minutes). Dusty coils make the compressor work harder in a warm kitchen.
• Clean the grill and check gas hoses for cracks.
• Wash windows and screens, and repair any screen tears before bug season peaks.
• Pool owners: test and balance chemicals weekly, and empty the skimmer and pump baskets.

Fall: get ready for the cold

• Clean the gutters again once most leaves have fallen.
• Book the chimney sweep before you light the first fire. Creosote buildup causes chimney fires.
• Flush the water heater (45 minutes). Draining sediment keeps it efficient and quieter, and helps it last.
• Winterize the sprinklers before the first hard freeze so water in the lines can't crack pipes.
• Replace smoke detector batteries. Doing it when the clocks change makes it easy to remember.

Winter: protect and check

• Change the HVAC filter again as the heat runs more.
• Test smoke and CO detectors. Heating season is when carbon monoxide risk is highest.
• Watch your pipes in a freeze. Let faucets drip on exterior walls and open cabinet doors under sinks.
• Check for drafts around doors and windows and add weatherstripping where you feel air.
• Deep clean the oven before or after the holidays.

Every month, all year

A few jobs don't care about the season: test smoke and CO detectors, check the fire extinguisher gauge, clean the dishwasher filter and wipe the washer gasket. They take about ten minutes together.