Now is the perfect time to prepare your furnace for heating season. As evening and morning temperatures keep dropping, you’re going to need your furnace to provide you with warmth and comfort.

Here are five things you need to do to prepare your furnace for heating season:

1. Change your filters: It’s our number one rule in many situations. As a matter of fact, we’ve mentioned it in many blog posts — you can read a few here and here. Generally speaking, filters reside behind a vent grill in the wall or ceiling, or you may have a single filter in the HVAC system itself. These filters must stay clean to achieve maximum efficiency. If indoor air quality is a concern, now is a perfect time to consider installing a high-quality filtration system such as the Trane CleanEffects air filter.
2. Test your thermostat: On a cooler day, move your thermostat’s lever over to “heat” and set the temperature a little bit above the current room temperature. If you don’t hear an audible click within a minute or two, check your batteries and the wired connections to the thermostat. If you think your thermostat is damaged, replace it.
3. Call a pro: Call a licensed HVAC professional to inspect, clean, and tune-up your furnace. A thorough review will include testing the ignitor, lubricating the blower motor, cleaning and inspecting the heat exchanger, and testing all internal components. This thorough examination can catch any potential problems that could end up being a significant inconvenience on a cold winter’s night.
4. Change your batteries: Now is a great time to inspect and test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. As a matter of facr, change the batteries in every device, just to be safe.
5. Do this if you have a oil heat: If you happen to have an oil-based heating system, don’t forget to check the fuel level. It’s also a good idea to replace the oil filter and have the burner nozzle and heat exchanger cleaned.

If you are unsure how to perform any of the tasks listed above, call an HVAC contractor before the weather gets too cold.

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