I know...you aren't even thinking about your furnace yet. "It's only the beginning of September, Dave!" you're saying to yourself. But I promise...now is the time to think about your furnace! Actively maintaining your furnace is a both a way to ensure you avoid problems during a Polar Vortex, but also making your home more energy efficient. And now is the perfect time to take action! 

What actions? Here is what Focus on Energy recommends:

Schedule a professional tune-up

Getting an annual tune-up is the best thing you can do to ensure peak furnace performance and avoid future breakdowns. During the tune-up, a technician will clean your system, inspect for any operational problems, and adjust for optimal efficiency. Not sure how to find an good furnace technician? Click here to search Focus on Energy's list of approved trade allies. 

Clean and replace your air filters

This one’s easy to do. Check your air filter regularly to see if it has accumulated dirt, and then clean or replace as needed. A dirty filter makes your furnace work harder, so changing it out every 1–3 months (or as needed based on manufacturer’s guidelines) is recommended. 

Allow your air registers to breathe

Any time your air registers are closed or blocked by furniture, your furnace has to work extra hard to maintain even temperatures. Make sure all your floor registers are clear and free from obstructions.

Check the pilot light if you have an older furnace

For older furnaces, it’s important that the pilot light is burning bright blue. If you see a different color, it’s likely burning inefficiently and you’ll want to have a technician take a look.

Keep the area around your furnace clean

Sounds simple, but keeping a clear area around your furnace is important both for safety and to allow easy access for you or your technician to perform maintenance or repairs. For example, don’t keep a litter box near your furnace. The ammonia fumes from the litter can corrode the furnace’s heat exchanger and the odors could circulate through the home. You also never want to store combustibles such as gasoline, paint, and cleaning products near your furnace or water heater.

Also, as a Focus on Energy Real Estate Ambassador, I can offer clients who purchase a home with me a $125 voucher to have their furnace's serviced, which is a pretty good deal. And beyond that, Focus on Energy is a great resource for helping to make your home more energy efficient. They offer free efficiency products, as well as rebates and special incentives to make your home more energy efficient.