Before the heating season, building staff can handle filters, blocked returns, thermostat schedules and exterior vent clearances. Combustion, venting, safety controls and the boiler inspection are licensed work. Here is the split, and why October beats January.

One radiator not heating up while the rest of the house is warm is usually trapped air, a valve that is not fully open or, on a steam system, the air vent. Here is how to tell which, what you can safely do yourself, and where the line is.

Your furnace will not turn on. Five checks to make first in an Altoona home, the signs that mean it is time to call a licensed technician, and what changes if you heat with a boiler, steam or a heat pump.