The key to keeping comfortable this winter is to prepare your heating system for lots of constant usage. With the cold days of the end of the year right around the corner there is no better time to get your heating system checked out and operating in good shape before you need every day. No matter what kind of heat system your house has, you will want to be sure it's ready to last through the cold season. If your heat does break down in the middle of the night then here are three steps you can take before hiring the repairman:

Check that your thermostat is set correctly: It might be a good idea for you to pick a cool night to test your heating system to make sure you know how to turn it on and off before winter arrives. Knowing how to program an electronic thermostat is very important. There are many different types of digital and mechanical temperature gauges available and some of them are not easy to read.

Be sure you have not blown a breaker: You may want to call an electrician if your heating system seems to pop a breaker more than once, because that could be a sign of a larger and potentially more serious electrical issue in your home. No matter what type of heating system you have some type of electrical connection is probably required. A simple blown house breaker could prevent your heat from coming on.

Consult the instruction manual: If you don't, then you should probably think about writing down some steps to follow in case you need to tell someone else how to turn your heat on or off in an emergency. Keep the written instructions in a convenient closet that close to your thermostat. If you have an instruction manual for your heating system then you should read that at the first hint of problems.

The tricks above are just some of the many heater troubleshooting steps you can take. Heat systems are complex mechanical devices that are built to keep you warm and run without problems for many years, but they do need maintenance from time to time. Heat systems use a number of different types of fuel from oil, to natural gas to electricity. If you are stuck without heat in your house then play it smart and get to a building that does have heat or at try to purchase an auxiliary room heater as a temporary way to stay warm. If you are not comfortable with any of these heating troubleshooting steps, don't hesitate to call in a heating professional.

One of the biggest sources of problems for almost any heating system is a dirty air filter. Here's a quick video showing you how to replace a furnace filter so that you can save some money without paying for a service call.