Fall Furnace Prep

Furnaces almost always fail on the coldest night of the year. A little attention in the fall keeps you off the emergency-service waitlist in January.

What we evaluate

We check the furnace's age and operation, look for signs of a failing heat exchanger, verify proper venting, and confirm it produces heat safely. For buyers, an aging furnace changes your first-winter budget.

The carbon monoxide angle

A cracked heat exchanger can leak carbon monoxide, which is why working CO detectors are essential. We confirm detectors are present and note where they're missing.

Simple fall homeowner steps

Replace the filter, keep vents unobstructed, test smoke and CO detectors, and schedule a tune-up before the first hard freeze. It's cheap insurance against a no-heat night.