Most homeowners are looking forward to the cooler months after a scorching summer. When your oil furnace kicks in, things will really heat up, but make sure you follow these tips before turning on your heater. If your oil furnace has not been running for a while, it’s likely that your pilot light needs to be relit. Call a qualified specialist if you don’t think how to do this yourself or want to have your system checked. That brings us to our fifth point. Even though heating systems are built to last, they still need to be took care of to remain efficient & effective. Once a year, a qualified specialist should inspect the system! Dirty air filters cause your system to perform poorly, not to mention that contaminants are released back into the air. Clean or substitute the air filter every 1-3 months, depending on how suddenly it clogs. The manual thermostat is a thing of the past, substituted by programmable models that let you control when & where your Heating & A/C system operates. Your home should be equipped with several smoke alarms & at least one carbon monoxide alarm per floor. Test each one by pressing a small button on the front & replacing the batteries if necessary.