Monthly house check

1. Pick the day

   Choose a day you already remember, like rent day or the first Saturday, and write it at the top of the log. Plan the loop so it ends at the water meter.

   Have ready: The log page on a clipboard and a pencil

2. Test every alarm

   Press and hold the test button on each smoke alarm, then each CO alarm, until it sounds. NFPA says to test both at least once a month.

   Have ready: The alarm list from the smoke alarm record, so none gets missed

   Source: NFPA, installing and maintaining smoke alarms, checked October 15, 2026; NFPA, carbon monoxide safety, checked October 15, 2026.

3. Look at the filter

   Slide it out and hold it up to the light. ENERGY STAR says to inspect, clean or change it once a month. If you put in a new one, write the date and the size.

   Have ready: The filter size and a spare on the shelf

   Source: ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, checked October 15, 2026.

4. Look under each sink

   Open the kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinets. EPA says surface leaks show as water on the outside of faucet gaskets and pipe fittings. Look, touch, and write down anything wet.

   Have ready: A flashlight and a dry paper towel for the cabinet floor

   Source: EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week, checked October 15, 2026.

5. One toilet gets the color test

   A few drops of food coloring in the tank, no flushing for 10 minutes, then look in the bowl. EPA says color in the bowl means a leak. Flush afterward so the tank doesn't stain. Next month, move on to the next toilet.

   Have ready: Food coloring and the name of this month's toilet

   Source: EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week, checked October 15, 2026.

6. Read the water meter

   Write down every digit, including any fixed or painted zeros on the right; NYC DEP says that gives the reading in cubic feet. The register keeps a running total like a car odometer, so this month minus last month is the month's use. One cubic foot is 7.48 gallons.

   Have ready: Last month's reading on the log

   Source: NYC DEP, How to Read Your Water Meter, checked October 15, 2026; Kentucky PSC, A Consumer's Guide to Reading Electric & Gas Meters, checked October 10, 2026.

7. Write one line

   Date, alarms tested, filter looked at or changed, meter reading, the month's use, which toilet got the test, and anything new. A blank last column is a good month.

   Have ready: The pencil you started with

8. When a month jumps, check and call

   If the use jumps and nothing changed at home, do EPA's check: read the meter, use no water for two hours, read it again. If it moved at all there is probably a leak. Write both readings and book a plumber, or tell the landlord in writing.

   Have ready: The two readings, the times, and the plumber's or landlord's number

   Source: EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week, checked October 15, 2026.

• Tip 01

  Hang the log by the meter or the filter

  A clipboard where the walk ends means the line gets written before you walk away.

• Tip 02

  Photograph the meter face

  A phone photo keeps the reading if the pencil goes missing, and the date stamp shows when you took it.

• Tip 03

  Lay a paper towel under each sink

  Next month a dry towel takes one glance. A marked one shows a new drip even if it has dried since.

• Tip 04

  Write the toilet names in the margin

  Upstairs, hall, basement. Circle this month's, and the rotation keeps itself.

• Tip 05

  Buy filters before the shelf is empty

  If the spare goes in this month, put filters on the shopping list the same day.

• Chapter 05Home maintenance calendarPick your climate region, say whether you own or rent and tick what the house has. Get a year of household jobs by month and a year sheet to print.Open the tool
• Chapter 01Smoke and CO alarm plannerCount smoke and CO alarms level by level from NFPA's placement list, then get the replace-by date and the next battery change for your alarms.Open the tool
• Chapter 01HVAC filter size finder and replacement plannerTurn a nominal size like 16x25x1 into the filter's actual dimensions, or measure an old filter to find the size to buy, then plan the next change.Open the tool
• Chapter 01Home service logTurn the last visit for your heating, cooling, chimney and septic service into the next due date and a book-by date, then print a log of who to call.Open the tool
• Practical noteThe monthly walk: a 10-minute house check with one line to write downA 10-minute monthly house check: test each smoke and CO alarm, look at the HVAC filter, read the water meter, look under the sinks and write one line.Read the guide
• Practical noteHow to test smoke and CO alarms room by room, once a monthPress each test button on a fixed route, listen for the loud beep and write the date in the log. What a chirp means, plus the yearly battery job.Read the guide
• Practical noteHow many air filters to buy for a yearPlan on 4 to 6 filters a year for each filter slot, from the 60 to 90 day change range. Count your slots, check monthly and order by size.Read the guide
• Chapter 05All calendar toolsA home maintenance calendar for your climate region: the jobs to book, check and write down each month, for owners and renters, with a year sheet to print.Open the chapter

Other sources on this page

• Installing and maintaining smoke alarms, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Checked October 15, 2026.
• Carbon monoxide safety, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Checked October 15, 2026.
• Heating and Cooling Maintenance Checklist, ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA and DOE). Checked October 15, 2026.
• A Consumer's Guide to Reading Electric & Gas Meters, Kentucky Public Service Commission. Checked October 10, 2026.
• Fix a Leak Week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense. Checked October 15, 2026.
• Don't Wait, Check the Date! Replace smoke alarms every 10 years, U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA). Checked October 12, 2026.

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