Gutters and Downspouts need to be clean and free of any debris. Downspouts should be angled to drain away from the house foundation to prevent water from accumulating under the house. This sometimes requires buying extensions to redirect ... If you leave for a vacation be sure that your heat is at least 55 degrees for the whole time you are gone. 7. Service you furnace and fireplace. This may be as simple as changing filters and doing a visual inspection of the pipes and ...