Tips to tune up your furnace before the winter begins

If it's been awhile since your furnace had its last tune-up, take care of it now so that you don't run into trouble when you really need the heat to come on.

Like a car, your furnace is a running machine that needs regular tune-ups to ensure its efficiency and longevity. A little preventative maintenance now, when it's convenient

for you, means you're unlikely to find yourself coping with a furnace breakdown that needs emergency service in the middle winter.

A clean, well-adjusted heating system will save you money on fuel and will prolong furnace life. The cost of annual servicing is modest, especially when compared with the price of a new furnace.

Changing the filter on a forced air furnace is a good place to start but it's not enough. Your furnace also needs regular inspection and maintenance of the heat exchanger, ignition system, fan, motor, bearings, belts, pumps, controls, exhaust, burners, pilot, thermostat, chimney and more. Those aren't do-it-yourself projects.

Have your furnace inspected and cleaned by a qualified technician who will be able to identify problem areas and recommend solutions that will ensure your year-round comfort. To find a qualified contractor in your area, check out the Web site of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors of Canada at www.hrac.ca or call toll-free at 1-877-411-HRAC (4722). You can also find a heating

contractor by looking in your yellow pages under "heating contractor."

- News Canada