We could make an entire blog post on why you should get maintenance on your heater before winter starts, but we think that one should be a given. Instead, we’ll go over some ideas that will truly help you get ahead of the obstacles that the cold air will bring.

We love our heat pumps, but there’s one big flaw to them. Since heat pumps work by moving warm air from one place to another, it’s possible that extremely cold air will make it inefficient. If the outside temperature is consistently close to 0 degrees, you shouldn’t be surprised to find your heat pump struggling to keep up.

In these cases, that’s where the dual fuel system kicks in. A separate gas furnace heater turns on to take over the job. Since the gas furnace will only turn on when it’s necessary, you don’t have to worry about substantial extra energy costs.

Alternatively, if you already have a gas furnace but have been considering installing a heat pump to combat next summer’s heat, now could be a good opportunity to go for a dual fuel system.

If your HVAC setup uses a duct system, then you know how great they are for bringing your whole home down to a nice and cool temperature. However, there’s one problem with these systems: They either treat the entire house or none of it.

Thankfully, that’s why zone control systems were invented—to give you the control to heat or cool each room individually. In the winter, a zone control system will be critical for your comfort.

Sipping hot cocoa and wrapped in blankets is perfectly fine if you’re in the living room watching the TV. On the other hand, consider if you’re a remote worker or self-employed and how easily the cold can affect your productivity. With zone control, everyone in the home can be happy with their own temperature settings. This is even more true at night, since most of us enjoy different temperatures when trying to fall asleep.

The colder seasons are great at bringing colds and illness. Part of this reason is that the cold inhibits our abilities to fight off sickness. For families with normal immune systems, simply staying warm with your heater through the season might be more than enough to stay healthy. However, if you have family members who are prone to getting sick every year, it might be time to invest in a UV air purifier.

UV air purifiers—unlike normal air purifiers—actively use UV lights to prevent germs from replicating (killing them in the process). UV bulbs only need to be replaced about once a year, and they’ll go a long way in helping clear your air circulation of germs.