Winterizing a Salt Lake City home: the 2026 checklist

Winter in the Salt Lake Valley is not subtle. One week you are mowing, the next the benches are white and the forecast says 22 degrees overnight. Most of the expensive winter damage we see comes from a handful of small jobs that did not get done before that first cold snap: a sprinkler line that still had water in it, a hose left on the spigot, a swamp cooler that was never drained.

This is the list we work through on our own homes and for customers every fall, in the order that matters. None of it needs special skills. It does need to happen on time.

When to start

In most years the valley floor sees its first freeze sometime in October. Homes up on the east bench, near canyon mouths and in the Avenues often get there sooner. Do not wait for a forecast that says "hard freeze." By then every sprinkler company in town is booked out.

A simple rule: outdoor water jobs done by mid October, everything else by Thanksgiving. If you are travelling in October, do the water jobs before you leave.

Blow out the sprinklers before the first hard freeze

Water left in irrigation lines expands when it freezes. It cracks PVC fittings, splits poly pipe and ruins sprinkler heads and valves. You usually do not find out until the system is turned on in spring and a zone will not hold pressure.

A blowout pushes that water out with compressed air. The basic sequence:

1. Shut off the water to the system. The irrigation shutoff is often in the basement near the main line or in a valve box in the yard.
2. Connect the compressor at the blowout port, which is usually on or just past the backflow preventer.
3. Run one zone at a time from the controller and let air push through until the heads spit only mist. Move on. Running a zone dry for a long time builds heat from friction and can damage parts.
4. Keep the pressure modest. Guidance commonly cited by irrigation manufacturers is around 50 psi for flexible poly pipe and no more than about 80 psi for rigid PVC. Check the guidance for your system.
5. Finish at the backflow preventer. Many installers leave the test cock and ball valves partly open, at about 45 degrees, so no water is trapped inside. Wrap it with an insulated cover.

Wear eye protection and never stand over a head while a zone is being blown out. If you do not own a compressor with enough volume, this is a job worth paying for. The typical industry range along the Wasatch Front is roughly $60 to $120 for an average residential system, more for large lots with many zones. That is a typical range, not a Handy's price.

Hose bibs and outdoor faucets

This is the cheapest insurance on the list. Disconnect every garden hose, drain it and store it. A hose left attached traps water in the faucet body, and that is enough to split even a frost free sillcock inside the wall. The leak only shows up in spring when you turn the water back on and it runs into the basement.

• If you have an indoor shutoff for the outdoor faucet, close it, then open the outside faucet to let the line drain.
• Fit an insulated foam cover over each hose bib. They cost a few dollars.
• In spring, open the faucet and check inside for drips before you leave it running.

Rather not spend a Saturday on the ladder?Send us a note about a winterizing visit and a Handy's technician works through the outside list in one trip, ahead of the October rush.

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Swamp cooler shutdown

Evaporative coolers are everywhere in older Salt Lake homes, and they need their own shutdown:

• Turn off the water supply to the cooler and drain the pan and supply line.
• Clean out mineral scale from the pan. Valley water carries a fair amount of minerals and it builds up fast.
• Unplug or switch off the unit and fit a cover over it outside.
• Close the damper or cover the ceiling vent from inside. An open cooler vent is one of the biggest sources of winter drafts we find.

Gutters and downspouts

Clean gutters after most of the leaves are down, which in neighborhoods with big old trees like Holladay, Millcreek and Sugar House usually means late October into November. Clogged gutters hold water and ice, which adds weight, pulls hangers loose and feeds ice dams at the roof edge.

• Flush each downspout with a hose to make sure it runs clear.
• Check that downspouts discharge several feet away from the foundation. Snowmelt pooling against a basement wall is how a lot of spring water problems start.
• Look along the roof edge for loose shingles or flashing while you are up there.

Furnace filter and inversion season

Swap the furnace filter as heating season starts, then check it monthly. Standard 1 inch filters typically need changing every one to three months, sooner with pets.

Salt Lake inversions usually settle in between December and February. A higher efficiency filter can help indoor air during those weeks, but a filter that is too restrictive for your system can choke airflow. Check your furnace manual for the highest rating it supports before you upgrade.

A filter swap is a homeowner job. Burner, ignition or heat exchanger work is not. Have a licensed HVAC contractor look at the furnace itself if it has not been serviced in a couple of years.

Dryer vent

Lint builds up in the duct between your dryer and the outside wall. It slows drying, wastes energy and is a real fire risk. Clean the duct at least once a year. Signs it is overdue: loads taking two cycles, a hot laundry room, or an outside flap that barely opens when the dryer runs. In winter, also check that the outside hood is not blocked by snow or ice.

Smoke and CO detectors

The furnace, water heater, gas fireplace and attached garage all get more use in winter, so this is the time to check carbon monoxide protection.

• Test every smoke and CO alarm. Replace batteries while you are there.
• Check the date on the back. Smoke alarms are generally replaced every 10 years. CO alarms have shorter lives, often 5 to 10 years depending on the model.
• Make sure there is a CO alarm on every level and outside sleeping areas.

Drafts, caulk and weatherstripping

On a cold, windy day, hold the back of your hand near door edges, window frames and outlets on outside walls. Wherever you feel air moving:

• Replace flattened weatherstripping on doors and add a door sweep if light shows under the door.
• Re-caulk gaps around window trim. Most exterior caulks want temperatures above about 40 degrees to cure, so do this early.
• Foam gaskets behind outlet covers on exterior walls are a cheap, quick fix.

The checklist

Tap each item as you finish it. Your progress is saved on this device.

• Sprinkler system shut off and blown out
• Backflow preventer drained and covered
• Hoses disconnected, drained and stored
• Hose bibs drained and covered
• Swamp cooler drained, covered, ceiling vent closed
• Gutters cleaned and downspouts flowing away from the house
• Furnace filter replaced
• Dryer vent cleaned, outside hood clear
• Smoke and CO alarms tested, batteries replaced
• Door weatherstripping and window caulk checked
• Snow shovel and pet safe ice melt ready

When to call a pro

Most of this list is a weekend of work for a comfortable DIYer. It makes sense to hand it off if you do not own a compressor, you are not happy on a ladder, you will be out of town in October, or you are looking after a parent's house across the valley.

A Handy's technician can clear the whole outside list in one visit: sprinkler blowout, hose bibs, swamp cooler, gutters, filters and dryer vent. If something bigger turns up, like a cracked backflow valve or a roof issue, we will tell you straight and point you to a specialist when the job needs one.

Tim Leary

Owner & Founder, Handy's

Tim started Handy's in Salt Lake City in October 2023 with $550 and now runs it with his dad Peter and a crew customers know by name. Handy's is Best of SLC 2026 Gold and rated 4.8 stars from 415 Google reviews.