Maintaining the furnace for your Toronto home is important, especially to help you avoid not only costly repairs, but also prevent you from being without heat for any period of time during the winter. There are a number of things that you can do on your own that will help keep up with the maintenance of your home’s furnace in heating system.

Even though you may follow all of these tips, it is still a good idea and highly recommended to have an HVAC technician come to your home, inspect the furnace and the entire heating system, and repair or replace any issues that he or she notices at that time. This will help you rest more comfortably knowing that you should have heat throughout the entire winter.

If your furnace breaks down in the middle of winter, you could potentially have to wait several days or even a week or more to have a HVAC technician get to your home.

1. Inspect all filters at least once a month. Usually there is one main air filter for forced hot air heating systems. There may be more, depending on your particular heating system. Check these filters at least once a month. It is ideal to replace them any time you notice dirt being collected on the filter itself.

2. Make sure that all air supply vent systems in your house or free of obstructions. You may be remodeling your bedroom or trying different arrangements of furniture in a different room, and inadvertently you could end up blocking the heating vent. Make sure that the vents have free access to distribute hot air into each room in the house. It is also very important to make sure that curtains aren’t covering any of these vents.

3. Inspect the chimney vent system at least once a year for any potential leaks, corrosion, or damage. It is best to have a professional come out to check these issues.

4. Never enclose a furnace and a small closet or in an area where it will be considered tight. Too often when people are finishing off their basement, they close off their furnace in a very narrow space. This doesn’t provide enough air to be drawn into the furnace system and that can cause serious problems.

5. Have your oil filter changed at least once a year. Assuming you use heating oil, it will move through a filter first before it reaches the furnace. Have this inspected and replaced at least once a year. If you use propane or natural gas, always pay attention to how much fuel is left in the tank if you have one. Never let it run dry.

These five tips should help you properly maintain your home’s furnace.