Come on, admit it--you don't think about your furnace that often, do you? If you're like the average homeowner, you might remember to change the filter when you're supposed to, but you might not give much thought to how your furnace works. Beyond the once-yearly service call to test everything out, furnaces tend to be an unnoticed part of your everyday comfort.

Dead Furnace? Dead of Winter? Not a Good Combo!

It never seems to fail--when you need heat the most, your furnace goes on vacation. When that furnace goes out in the dead of winter, it's time to swing into action.

• Look at the basics. Look at the breaker or fuse box. Has something been flipped or tripped? Try resetting everything. If that doesn't work, go to the furnace itself. Is the pilot light on? Are the electrical wires all connected? Does anything look amiss?
• Probe deeper. If you are familiar with the workings of your furnace, clean the blowers, change the filters, test the connections, and look at the duct work.
• Can't find the problem? Don't waste any more time looking for it. Call the emergency furnace repair service in your area. Get a firm estimate on when they will be out to take care of the problem, but keep in mind that when the snow is falling, their fastest time might not be fast at all.
• Take small steps. Start taking steps to keep one room of your house warm. Hang blankets over doors, seal up windows, and use a small heater if you have one. Never use grills, candles, or untested fireplaces for warmth. Run a steady drip of water in your sinks so the pipes don't freeze.

A broken furnace in the middle of winter is a serious issue. Call the professionals as soon as you realize there is a problem and get warm again as soon as possible!