10 Things to Check Before You Turn the Heat On (#3 Is the One I Missed)

Before you turn your heat on this fall, here are ten things to check first. Halloween, 1991: Walt was called out to the lines, I turned our furnace on without checking a thing, and it snowed for three days. Most of these jobs cost a few dollars or nothing on a mild afternoon. On the first cold night they get harder, and some get expensive. If your heat is already running, it's not too late. Number three is the one I missed. 📋 FREE Fridge-Door Checklist (all 10 on one page for your fridge): https://socxly.me/gas7x9 **In this video** · The little switch that brings down heat you already paid for · A fifty-cent fix for the cold breath coming out of your outlets · What a box of Christmas wrapping did to our daughter's bedroom · The yardstick rule for the corner around your furnace · The space heater rule with no exceptions · The pipe I forgot my first winter alone · What happened in our house that Halloween, and what Walt said after **Chapters** 0:00 Before you turn it on 0:35 10. The ceiling fan switch 1:21 9. The cold outlet on your outside wall 2:10 8. What's blocking your vents 3:07 7. The biggest hole in the house 3:54 6. Three feet around the furnace 4:39 Check it while it's mild 4:52 5. The outside faucet 5:43 4. The space heater cord 6:54 3. The one I missed 7:50 2. The furnace filter 8:28 What happened that Halloween 9:15 1. Ask the furnace while it's mild **Tell me in the comments:** Which one's already done at your house, the fan switch or the foam on the pipe? I read them all. **Sources** ENERGY STAR, *Ceiling Fan Installation and Usage Tips* (clockwise on low in winter) — energystar.gov/products/ceiling_fans/installation-and-usage-tips U.S. Department of Energy, *Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments* (outlets and switch plates as air leaks) — energy.gov/node/364579 U.S. Department of Energy, *HVAC: A Guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners* (keep vents clear; close the damper when there's no fire) — energy.gov NFPA 211 via the Chimney Safety Institute of America (chimneys, fireplaces and vents inspected once a year) — csia.org/homeowner-resources U.S. Fire Administration, *Heating Fires in Residential Buildings* (heating is the second leading cause of home fires) — usfa.fema.gov CPSC, *Space Heater Safety* and the 2025 consumer alert (plug straight into the wall, never a power strip or extension cord; three feet clear; tip-over switch) — cpsc.gov American Red Cross, *Preventing & Thawing Frozen Pipes* (hoses off, inside valve shut, outside faucet drained, garage door shut, pipe sleeves, newspaper) — redcross.org ENERGY STAR, *Maintenance Checklist* (check the filter monthly; have the heating system checked in the fall) — energystar.gov/saveathome/heating-cooling/maintenance-checklist National Weather Service Duluth, *The 1991 Halloween Blizzard* — weather.gov/dlh/1991halloweenblizzard Prices: outlet gaskets, foam pipe sleeves and a basic filter from Home Depot; tune-up ($70–$200) from HomeGuide; emergency call ($300–$1,200) from Angi. All checked 28 Sep 2026; they will vary by area and store. This video is for general information and is not professional HVAC, electrical, legal or financial advice. Shut off the breaker before touching an outlet, and call a licensed technician for anything inside the furnace. Keep a working carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home. This video contains altered or synthetic content: June is an AI-generated character with an AI voice, and the pictures are AI-generated illustrations. #WinterPrep #HomeMaintenance #FurnaceTips