The trees and bushes in your yard will do better this winter if you water them well before the first frost. You should run your hose at about half flow on each tree for about an hour once or twice a week until the first freeze. The bushes will need one third of that amount of water.
When you are done watering for the season, stretch the hose out and drain all of t he water out. Coil the hose back up and store it in the garage. If you leave it outside with water in it, the water will freeze and ruin your hose.
Check that all outside faucets are turned off. You do not have to do anything else like turn off the water inside the house. The faucets are designed to turn off the water 12 inches inside the house so there is no danger of freezing.
Remove the black extension hose from the sump pump discharge pipe. This needs to be done before the first freeze so that you don’t freeze water in this hose and prevent the sump pump from discharging water and possibly burning out the pump.
Some people cover the outdoor air conditioning unit. I’m not sure I know why, as the unit is designed to be outdoors and it gets rained on all summer. With a cover on the unit, there will be condensation on the cold metal parts as the cover insulates it from the air and keeps moisture in.
I also have a similar opinion about gas grill covers. I have never had the outside metal parts that are under these covers deteriorate before the burners and the grates disintegrate and need to be replaced. When I finally dispose of a gas grill, the outside is always in good condition.
Animals, especially voles, like to build their nests under the air conditioning condenser platform. To prevent these animals from living in your yard where they damage the lawn while foraging for food, you should clear all vegetation from the edge of the air conditioner platform. Then take a rake and pull out all of the leaves and dead grass that accumulates under the platform. The animals use this for nesting material.
If you haven’t changed the furnace filter for a couple of months do it now to get ready for the winter heating season. If you have an electrostatic filter it would be wise to wash it now. As our houses age so too does the furnace. It would be a good idea to have it inspected by a good heating system technician. If you have not established a relationship with one, check with your neighbors for a reliable technician that they can strongly recommend.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com.
