If a pipe started leaking tonight, could you tell someone over the phone exactly where to shut off the water?
You might know where the valve is. But “somewhere in the basement” can mean a lot of things to someone standing at the bottom of the stairs.
The same goes for the furnace model number, the filter size, and the thermostat schedule you set last winter and haven't touched since.
While you're getting your home ready for cold weather, take a few minutes to photograph the details you’re most likely to need later.
1. Your Main Water Shutoff
Take a photo from far enough back that someone can see where the valve is. A close-up of the handle is handy once you're there, but it won't tell anyone which corner of the basement to look in.
Include something recognizable in the frame, like the stairs, a doorway, or the water meter. If the valve is behind a panel or inside a closet, add a short note explaining how to find it.
The goal is simple. Someone who has never seen the valve should be able to find it using your photo.
2. Your Heating System Label
At some point, someone will ask for the model number of your furnace, boiler, or heat pump. There's a good chance they'll ask while you're upstairs and the label is downstairs.
If the equipment label is easy to reach, take a clear photo of the model and serial numbers. Check that both are readable before you walk away. If you have more than one system, add a note about which part of the house each one serves.
3. Your Filter Size
If your system uses a replaceable filter, take a photo of the size printed on the filter or its packaging.
If you have more than one filter in the house, note where each size goes. “Upstairs hallway” and “basement furnace” will make more sense six months from now than two nearly identical pictures of cardboard frames.
It's a small thing to have on your phone. It's also exactly the sort of thing you'll want when you're standing in the filter aisle.
4. Your Outdoor Faucet Shutoffs
If your outdoor faucets have dedicated indoor shutoff valves, photograph each valve and note which faucet it serves.
“Front faucet” and “back patio faucet” are useful labels, especially if the valves sit next to each other. If a valve is tucked behind a storage shelf or an access panel, take a wider photo that shows how to get to it.
5. Your Thermostat Schedule
If you use a heating schedule, take a screenshot in the app or photograph the schedule on the thermostat. Capture the times and temperatures you usually use, including any weekend settings that differ from weekdays.
That way, if someone changes the schedule during a holiday visit or you reset the thermostat later, you have something to refer back to.
Give the Photos a Place to Live
Five photos can disappear into a camera roll surprisingly fast.
Put them somewhere you can find them again, and show someone else in the household where the important ones are. Start with the water shutoff. If they can find it from the photo alone, you took a good picture.
MyVitalHome gives you one place to organize information about your home's systems, record service history, and keep track of maintenance. While you're taking these photos, it's a good time to record your equipment model numbers, filter sizes, and any other details you usually have to look up.
Because the middle of a cold night is a lousy time to go looking for a model number.
Know your home's vitals. Learn more at MyVitalHome.com.
