Before hunkering down for the cold winter months, make sure your furnace is properly cleaned and inspected to avoid a fire or interruption in service.

Furnaces should be inspected by a licensed contractor annually and replaced when recommended.

Experts at This Old House recommend the following when doing your annual furnace cleaning:

Switch off the electrical power and fuel supply before performing any maintenance
Clean the combustion chamber. Soot tends to build up on the chamber walls and can cause corrosion. Remove any loose material with an industrial shop vacuum and inspect the chambers for corrosion before replacing the cover
Inspect the exhaust flue. Check for holes, paying special attention to the areas where the pipe meets the furnace. Patch any holes with foil tape. Unfortunately, if your pipe has begun to corrode it should be replaced
Check the oil filter and air filters and replace them when necessary
Adjust the burner to maximize efficiency

Keep in mind, you should be routinely checking and cleaning your floor vents throughout the year. Regularly checking on the health of your heating system is key.

If you haven’t checked to make sure you have the right coverage for your insurance needs lately, contact your local Independent Agent or you can always get a fast, free quote today to see if you could save on your home and auto insurance in Massachusetts.

Please Note: This content is not intended to describe any specific coverage offered by MAPFRE Insurance. No coverage is provided, bound or guaranteed by this article. Available coverages, credits and discounts vary from state to state and are subject to eligibility criteria and policy terms/conditions, which will control in the event of conflict between this article and your insurance policy. For information about your policy, please review your individual policy contract and speak with your insurance representative.

MAPFRE Insurance® is a brand and service mark of MAPFRE U.S.A. Corp. and its affiliates, including American Commerce Insurance Company^SM (Cal. COA 4928-8), Citation Insurance Company^SM, The Commerce Insurance Company^SM, Commerce West Insurance Company^SM (Cal. COA 1372-2), MAPFRE Insurance Company^SM (Cal. COA 3039-5), and MAPFRE Insurance Company of Florida^SM.

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