November

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. Use it the way the CDC and CPSC suggest: check or change the batteries in the smoke and CO alarms. Then look at the date stamped on the back of each smoke alarm; USFA says to replace the whole unit every 10 years, and CO alarms per the manufacturer (the CDC's default is every 5 years).

DOE: in winter, reverse the ceiling fan to turn clockwise and set it on low. That pushes the warm air that pools at the ceiling back down into the room without a draft.

USFA: keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from fireplaces and wood stoves, and have the chimney inspected and cleaned yearly by a professional. The Chimney Safety Institute of America's threshold for sweeping a masonry fireplace is 1/8 inch of sooty buildup, sooner if there is any glazed creosote.

The Red Cross: keep the thermostat set to the same temperature day and night during cold weather (a lower bill is not worth a frozen pipe), and when you travel leave the heat on at no lower than 55 F. IBHS goes further for long absences: away more than a week with subfreezing weather ongoing or forecast, consider closing the main water valve slowly and draining a couple of lowest-floor faucets. Know where the main shutoff is before you need it; most are a gate valve or ball valve where the line enters the house.

For the Mid-country, Pacific coast and high-desert regions this is the month: hoses off and drained, inside valves closed, outside faucets opened to drain. See the October task for the full Red Cross list.

Wood in service is always exchanging moisture with the air. The Forest Products Laboratory notes daily changes are small, but seasonal ones add up; as the furnace runs, floors and trim give up moisture and shrink. NWFA's year-round target of 30 to 50 percent relative humidity is the number to hold, with a humidifier if the house drops below it. The EPA's upper limit of 60 percent still applies at the other end.