The coldest time of winter remains ahead in south central Iowa, and while it’s been a warm start to the season, homeowners will want to keep their heating systems in working order for when the arctic air arrives. Mike Van Haaften with Van Haaften Plumbing and Heating in Pella says it’s important to stick to the basics of furnace maintenance when it comes to keeping a home warm when the air outside is well below freezing.

“The first thing you should be doing as a homeowner is keeping your furnace filter clean,” he says. “We do a lot of service calls as a result of dirty filters, and it’s pretty to avoid that…many people don’t know the last time they changed their filter.”

Van Haaften says it’s important to be selective with filters, as it matters what type of furnace and duct work is in the home.

“Some of the more expensive filters you see on the shelf at stores, while they do catch more material that’s in the air, such as dirt, they are also much more restrictive to airflow,” he says. “If your duct work is all appropriate and everything is great, you can probably put in that type of filter that catches all of the dirt, but if there’s anything lacking in your duct work, that more expensive filter may restrict airflow enough that it actually causes a problem.”

Van Haaften also says the type of filters are different in newer models of furnaces, and it’s important to use the appropriate size to ensure a heating system will stay in working order.