COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP -- As the days and nights get colder, Shirley Blanchara from Tobyhanna usually cranks up her heat, but first she gets her heating system checked.
This week, she's glad she did because when she turned it on, it didn't work.
"The heat came on and it's too hot. Too hot in the house now for October but we are very happy we got it fixed," said Blanchara.
Heating experts from Hess and Furino Fuels tell Newswatch 16 it's important to get your heaters and boilers checked.
While the best time to get a tech in is during the spring and summer, before a cold snap, the business has been getting flooded with calls over the last few weeks.
"If everyone waits until the weather is cold, there's not enough service people in this area to handle that, so if you get it done, you are guaranteed that you won't be freezing," said Sal Furino, owner of Hess and Furino Fuels.
Furino says many problems can occur if you don't get your system checked.
"You can have house fires, carbon monoxide poisoning. If the blow-off valve don't work, you can have flooding and your house could freeze up. There are a number of things that can go wrong," said Furino.
Homeowners here are happy the problem was caught early. Especially since they know the dangers of letting your heating system go unmaintained.
"You just feel safe when it's checked," said Blanchara.
Heating experts say the best thing a homeowner can do is get their heating system checked by a professional. This way they can find and fix any problems to make sure the house stays heated and safe throughout the winter.