Feeling a little chilly in the morning?

Me too! It's definitely starting to feel like fall, and the cool temperatures tempt me to click on the thermostat. But before turning up the heat, experts recommend that we give our furnace a checkup. Furnaces tend to be out of sight and out of mind for the average homeowner six to eight months out of the year, they say. During that time, dust piles up, critical parts of the furnace can malfunction, and pipes sometimes rust, all of which can lead to the unit breaking down or even emitting carbon monoxide into your house. Furnace inspections rank as one of four pre-winter repairs that we can't afford to skip.

The easiest and most important thing we can do to help ensure our furnace keeps us warm through the winter is to regularly clean and replace the filters. This not only promotes health and safety, it also saves money. Keeping a furnace operating efficiently is reported to cut a utility bill by 16%.

So before the temp outside drops any further, give your furnace a checkup. Better safe than cold when winter comes!