Fall is in the air...

The days are getting shorter and the temperature is feeling a little cooler. While you may be ready to enjoy hot apple cider and pumpkin carving, it's also time to prepare your home for cold weather.

Here's a checklist of important fall home maintenance tasks to consider doing ever year.

Blow Out Your Sprinkler System

You don’t want any water freezing inside the sprinkler system, so it’s important to get it “blown out” before freezing temperatures arrive. Bend landscaping companies will be happy to schedule this for you (schedule early as they can get busy) and will also often pack your sprinkler box with insulation for extra protection. The city will also usually require an annual backflow test, and this is a good time to get that testing done if you haven't already.

Avoid Broken Exterior Faucets

In particularly cold weather – and especially overnight – pipes with water left inside can freeze. When this water expands, it can crack pipes and create serious flooding issues. Make sure garden hoses are disconnected from hose bibs. You can also find cheap covers to put on your external faucets to keep them protected from freezing up.

Test Smoke Alarms and CO2 Detectors

It's a great time to test smoke alarms and replace batteries if needed. It's also a good time to test your CO2 alarm.

Check Winter Equipment

Replace any worn snow shovels and test/charge snow blowers. Also, consider getting an ice scraper to remove that nasty ice on the driveway/walkways that we’ve all had a slip and fall on at one point or another.

The ergonomic design and best materials used by the more expensive shovels are worth the extra cost and will save your back while making the job easier.

Consider creating an emergency "winter" car package with a blanket, batteries, first-aid kit and other necessities incase you get stuck out in the Central Oregon cold.

Clean and Adjust Ceiling Fans

Wipe any accumulated dust off your ceiling fan and look for a switch to change direction. Ceiling fans should always turn clockwise in winter, which can push rising warm air down on people in the room.

Maintain Your Heating System

HVAC systems usually have a central fan system with a filter inside to help catch debris. You should replace these filters between major seasonal shifts before they get too clogged. Note the size of your filter, and you can find a replacement at most local home improvement stores. This is also the time to switch your thermostat settings if you need to.