Malfunctioning home heating systems increase the risk of carbon-monoxide (CO) poisoning and cause some 6,000 fires costing $47 million in property damage each year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Experts advise that you hire a licensed professional to give your home heating and cooling systems the once over at least once a year.

When properly maintained, home heating systems are not only safer, but work more efficiently to help offset the rising costs of fuel. Clean, efficient systems also last longer.

There are certain tasks you can and should perform including changing or cleaning your filter as often as recommended in your heater's manual. Also keep heat registers and radiators free of dust, dirt and debris.

Older systems may also require blower-motor or water-pump lubrication. And you should replace batteries in related devices including digital thermostats, CO alarms and smoke alarms.

More than worth the cost, a professional inspection goes a lot further.

Consumer Reports says the inspector should check these components:

• All Systems -- Vent-connection pipes and the chimney or flue needs to be examined for leaky joints, holes, blockages, and other conditions that can cause CO build up in your home. Likewise gas and oil piping should be examined for leaks. Oil fired systems require an annual heat-exchanger cleaning and oil-filter change. Also the inspector should examine controls and thermostats to make sure they are working properly.

  The CPSC says flexible gas connectors that connect home appliances to gas supply pipes are of particular concern. Homes built and appliances installed within the past 15 years should not be at risk, but the gas connectors in older homes are corrugated tubes made of uncoated brass that can crack or break, resulting in a gas leak, fire, or explosion. Uncoated flexible brass connectors should be replaced and during the home heating inspection is a good time to examine the connectors where ever they are used.

• Forced-Air Systems, Heat Pumps -- On these systems, the inspector must check the furnace heat exchanger for cracks that can leak CO. Leaking duct connections should be resealed with mastic and the airflow should be checked. A combustion check determines if the burner is working properly.

  R-6 insulation and sealing for ducts in unheated spaces can cut heating costs by 40 percent.

  The inspector should check for refrigerant leaks in heat pumps and make sure the charge is correct. A professionals can also clean condenser coils and check the secondary heating elements and reversing valve.

• Hot Water Systems -- The pro should check the pressure-relief valve and high-limit control for problems that cause damaging high pressure. Pressure checks assure that the fill valve, automatic air vents, and expansion tank are working properly. The inspector can also check the boiler water pumps for leaks.

• Steam Systems -- Inspectors check steam vents and traps for these systems because they allow steam to travel quickly to the radiators without escaping. Water should be skimmed from the boiler's water line to remove floating debris and to maintain efficiency. Inspections should include a test of the low-water cutoff safety control and high-limit safety control. The professional can drain the float chamber for the low-water cutoff and check the fill valve to remove sediment.

To get the most out of your home heater, related maintenance includes making sure your doors and windows are well sealed, properly aligned and closing soundly.

Published: January 18, 2006

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Broderick Perkins parlayed a career in old-school journalism into a contemporary digital news service that really hits home. The award-winning consumer journalist, originally from Wilmington, DE, is founder, publisher and executive editor of the bootstrap DeadlineNews Group, a Silicon Valley-based editorial content and consulting service specializing in residential real estate, consumer news and related editorial consulting services. The DeadlineNews Group includes the website, DeadlineNews.com, offering real estate editorial content and consulting services, and its back shop, the Deadline Newsroom, an open house on news that really hits home. Perkins obtained his formal journalism education from University of Delaware and a journalism boot camp, the Institute of Journalism Education at the University of California-Berkeley. He went on to 20 years of service as a daily newspaper journalist at the Wilmington, DE News Journal and San Jose, CA Mercury News. Perkins covered housing on the San Jose Mercury News reporting team which earned a General News Reporting Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. He has also produced real estate, consumer and small business content for the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, RealtyTimes.com, Nolo.com, Better Homes and Gardens, the National Association of Realtors, Homestore/Move and Intuit/Quicken among more than three dozen publications. In addition to managing the DeadlineNews Group, Perkins most recently served as chief editorial consultant for Nolo's Essential Guide To Buying Your First Home, Nolo, and writes real estate television scripts for RealtyTimes.com.