The Home Almanac
What to do this month, and why.
Twelve months of household maintenance, one page each, with notes for five US climate regions. The tasks come from the agencies and extension services that study this (DOE, EPA, CPSC, the U.S. Fire Administration, NOAA, the universities) and each one links to the explainer that tells you how the system works.
Winter
February
The quiet month. Give the water heater and the appliances the attention they never get.
Fall
September
National Preparedness Month. The chimney, the furnace and the alarms get ready for the heating season.
Fall
October
Fire Prevention Week, the winterizing of outdoor water, and gutters after the leaves fall.
Fall
November
Heating season begins. Clocks fall back, fans reverse, and the thermostat routine starts.
Every month, all year
- Look at the furnace or air handler filter. Inspect, clean or change it once a month; during cooling season DOE says every month or two. How a filter works.
- Press the test button on every smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm. Both get a monthly test.
- Press TEST, then RESET, on each GFCI outlet, and the TEST button on any AFCI breakers in the panel. Monthly for both. If one will not reset or trip, that is an electrician call.
- Run water into any sink, tub or floor drain that does not get used. A trap only blocks sewer gas while it holds water, and once a month is the usual rule.
The five regions
The almanac is written for the whole country and annotated by region, using the Department of Energy's Building America climate regions. Pick your region on any month page and the notes for the other four fold away. How the regions are drawn, and the sources behind the calendar.
- North: Cold and Very Cold
- Mid-country: Mixed-Humid
- Southeast and Gulf: Hot-Humid
- Southwest: Hot-Dry and Mixed-Dry
- Pacific coast: Marine
The Monthly Almanac, by email
One email at the start of each month with that month's checklist for your region, and nothing else. The checklist for the coming month arrives before the month does.
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References
- Maintenance Checklist. ENERGY STAR. https://www.energystar.gov/saveathome/heating-cooling/maintenance-checklist
- Maintaining Your Air Conditioner. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/maintaining-your-air-conditioner
- Smoke Alarms. U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA). https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prepare-for-fire/smoke-alarms/
- CPSC Warns of Generator, Carbon Monoxide and Fire Hazards Ahead of Hurricane Season (May 27, 2026). U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2026/CPSC-Warns-of-Generator-Carbon-Monoxide-and-Fire-Hazards-Ahead-of-Hurricane-Season
- Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI). Electrical Safety Foundation International. https://www.esfi.org/ground-fault-circuit-interrupters-gfci/
- How to Test an AFCI. Electrical Safety Foundation International. https://www.esfi.org/how-to-test-an-afci/
- Funky Smell? It Might Be a Dry Drain. Princeton University Office of Environmental Health and Safety. https://ehs.princeton.edu/news/keep-drain-traps-drying-out
- Guide to Determining Climate Zones by County: Building America and IECC 2021 Updates (PNNL-33270). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy. https://www.pnnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-33270.pdf
Every fact and number on this page comes from one of the sources above, read during the writing of this page. Codes and standards vary by jurisdiction and edition; your local code and your equipment's manual control.