Resources — Red Letter Iowa

Spring

Swap or clean furnace filters if you heat with forced air. Start the season with a clean path for air.
Walk the gutters after the winter mess. Clear leaves and sticks so spring rain has somewhere to go.
Peek at the outdoor AC condenser. Pull weeds and brush away from the coil so it can breathe when summer hits.
Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Fresh batteries if you're not on sealed long-life units.
Give the water heater a look—any damp spots, rust, or odd noises? Note it before it turns into a flood.
Check outdoor faucets for leaks the first time you turn them on. Freezing can crack pipes inside the wall.
Window screens: holes let bugs in. A cheap patch kit beats swatting flies all summer.

Oil and filter if you're due—winter short trips can be hard on oil.
Tire pressure changes with temperature. Set to the sticker on the door jamb, not the max on the tire.
Have a good look at tread depth and uneven wear. Uneven wear often means alignment or suspension worth checking.
Brake feel: soft pedal, grinding, or pulling to one side means stop in at a shop before it gets worse.
Battery terminals should be clean and tight. Spring is a decent time to replace a battery that's getting lazy.
Wiper blades after ice season—if they streak, swap them before the next downpour.
Pop the hood when the engine is cool: coolant, brake fluid, oil level, washer fluid. Top off what you're comfortable with.

Keep changing or washing HVAC filters on schedule—dust loads go up when windows are open.
Hose condenser fins gently if they're packed with cottonwood fuzz. Straight fins move air better.
Attic peek on a hot day: extreme heat up there can mean vent or insulation issues.
Basement and crawlspace sniff-test after heavy rain—musty early catches cheap fixes.
Deck boards and railings: splinters and wobble mean a Saturday project before someone gets hurt.

Hot pavement wears tires faster—keep pressure right and look for cracks or bulges on the sidewalls.
Cooling system: if you're topping off coolant often, something's wrong—don't ignore it.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time. If it's dark or older than your manual suggests, ask a trusted shop.
Battery strain from AC and heat—slow crank means plan for a replacement before you're stranded.
Washer fluid matters when dust and bugs coat the glass—keep the reservoir full.

Gutters again—leaves fill fast. Water behind fascia turns into rot.
Schedule a furnace tune-up if you like peace of mind before the first cold snap.
Drain outdoor faucets and disconnect hoses so pipes don't freeze inside the wall.
Weatherstripping on doors and windows—stick a dollar in the crack; if it slides easy, air's leaking out.
Smoke and CO detectors one more time before heating season kicks in hard.
Water heater: flush sediment if your manual says to—extends life and keeps efficiency.

Furnace filter on a winter schedule—check monthly if you run heat steady.
Keep intake and exhaust vents for furnace or boiler clear of snow and ice—blocked vents are dangerous.
Indoor humidity: too dry cracks wood; too wet grows mold. A cheap hygrometer tells the story.
Know where your water shutoff is before a pipe decides to split.
Space heaters need space—three feet clear, flat surface, unplug when you leave.

Tire tread for snow and slush—penny test still works in a pinch; winter tires are worth it if you drive a lot on ice.
Antifreeze protection level—cold snaps come fast in Iowa.
Battery: if it's older than four or five winters, consider replacing on your terms, not the tow truck's.
Keep at least half a tank—condensation in the tank and frozen fuel lines are no fun.
Washer fluid that's freeze-rated—summer mix turns to slush on your windshield.
Pack a small kit: blanket, flashlight, phone charger, snacks—just in case you wait for a tow in the cold.