Keep up with your maintenance: Sure, there’s a cost associated with having your furnace maintained, but getting annual maintenance done on your HVAC is the best way to avoid a potential failure. During your maintenance checkup, the technician who visits your home will clean, inspect and adjust all vital parts of your system. They’ll also uncover any small problems and fix them before they become large problems that might result in your system shutting down. Even if your furnace has been running well, you should still prioritize preventative maintenance .

Replace your air filters: Changing out your air filters doesn’t just ensure better air quality in your home—it also prevents the furnace from having to work in overdrive to deliver the same level of heat. Clogged filters make it harder for the system to function and more likely that it will break down after long-term usage.

Open up your vents: There is a misconception among homeowners that closing off vents can help you better direct heat where you want it in your home, and will prevent energy from being wasted on heating unused rooms. This isn’t true, though—in fact, it could actually result in damage to your furnace. Furnaces have been designed specifically to fit your home and to maximize their efficiency. When you close off sections of your home, you prevent the furnace from operating at its proper capacity, which could cause it to cycle improperly. Frequent short cycles can limit the lifespan of the furnace. Therefore, always keep all vents open and unobstructed in your home.

Listen to your nose: If you notice any odd smells emanating from your furnace, this could be a sign that you need to get some maintenance done right away. It’s not necessarily problematic if you notice a slight burning smell right after the first couple times you use your furnace for the season—this is probably some of the built-up dust burning off. But you should never smell odors that smell like sulfur, chemicals or smoke, as these are all smells indicative of larger problems in the system.

Change your thermostat batteries: Many furnace malfunctions are a result of thermostat malfunctions. Change out the batteries in the thermostat a couple times a year to make sure you’re able to maintain control over the furnace’s operation.