If you are suffering through a super cold winter, you want to make sure that your heat works. No matter how insulated your house is, when the temperature outside is many degrees below zero, your house is going to get cold if your furnace doesn't work. If your furnace does stop working, there are things that you can do to see if you can get your heat going again so that you aren't freezing your socks off. 

Check the Fuel

It may seem like the obvious place to start, but you should always check to make sure that your furnace has fuel, if your furnace uses something like heating oil, K-1, or propane. You should have a gauge on your tank that you can check before you do anything. Some gauges will tell you how many gallons you have in your fuel tank, others will tell you what percentage of your tank is still full. Knowing how many gallons are left in your tank if you can remember exactly how many gallons your tank holds. It will probably be easier for you if your gauge registers the percentage of full that your tank is. If your tank is empty, you should call your fuel provider and see if you can get an emergency fill. If you have fuel and your furnace still isn't working or your furnace is electric or powered by natural gas, there is another place to check. 

Emergency Stop

All furnaces have an emergency stop switch or button. Those switches will cut the power to the furnace if there is a problem with it. The switch is generally located somewhere near your furnace. It's also often red so that you can find it easily when you need to check to see if it's working or not. Go and check the switch to see if it's in the on position. If it isn't, then you should try turning it on and seeing what happens. You may also have to make sure that your pilot light is lit if your furnace needs one. Many furnaces these days have an electric pilot light so it shouldn't need to be lit. If turning the switch on gets your heat working, then you are all good. If it either doesn't come on or it kicks off immediately, then you are going to need to seek professional help from an HVAC service so that they can check out the problem and get some heat for you again. 

Troubleshooting problems with your furnace may help you get some heat back on faster .