Keep your furnace functioning during a deep freeze

It's easy to just turn up the dial on the thermometer in the living room and forget about what's powering the heat.

Until it all goes wrong.

When it gets really cold out, furnaces are put through their paces, working overtime to keep homes warm.

"There's a lot of people out there that didn't maintain their equipment and that's the biggest problem," said Tony Obeid, who has worked for Fahrhall Home Comfort Specialists since 1995.

Over the Christmas holidays in 2017, the Fahrhall company dealt with more than 100 calls a day.

Why furnaces break when you need them the most

7 years ago

Duration 0:45

Tony Obeid explains how you can keep your family safe when your furnace busts.

Tips to keep your furnace functioning

Obeid said people should clean out their furnace filters once a year for larger ones and once a month for smaller filters during the winter months.

How to help your furnace survive a cold snap

7 years ago

Duration 0:59

Tony Obeid with Fahrhall Home Comfort Specialists offers a few tips to keep your home heated.

Another tip is to make sure snow is cleared away from vents and pipes on the exterior of your house. Those pipes connect to the furnace.

"If the snow gets inside here it's going to shut down," said Obeid.

Most furnace parts require an experienced repair person, but regular maintenance can keep the heat on.