It's that time of year. You're either turning on your furnace or holding out as long as you can. For those not willing to be cold, an expert tells us about some safety steps.

The weather is getting cooler as we head into the start of fall, and it's time to do some fall housework before winter starts. One of the most important reminders is to check your furnace. 

One local heating and cooling contractor, Fred F. Collis & Sons in Yorkville, says that this maintenance is required and should be done around this time of year, if not earlier. Mr. Paul Collis, the Vice President of Fred F. Collis & Sons, says "If they could get their furnace serviced in the months May, June, July, or August, that's usually the best time. You know, before the companies really get busy. But most companies are getting real busy this time of the year because everyone's turning on the furnace."

And as everyone turns their heat on, there's some other important notes to pass on about safety. Mr. Collis says "Make sure in the basement, everything's away from the furnace. We go to houses a lot of times and they'll have papers, they'll have debris next to the furnace. And that could be a safety issue. If the furnace for some reason doesn't burn right it could actually roll out and cause a house fire."

Also, don't forget to check your carbon monoxide alarms. And if you're planning on leaving your house for a few days. Mr. Collis says "I usually recommend no colder then 60 degrees. At 60 degrees the system's not going to run a ton at that temperature. Plus if it does not work, and someone's checking it, if it's down to 50 by the time someone can get there it might be a little bit too late where you might have to worry about freezing pipes and everything like that."

But for the most part, we look to have a warmer than normal fall. The fall outlook produced by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center says that the northeast will generally have above average temperatures for October, November and December.

Don't forget to visit your local heating and cooling expert to check your furnace and do any maintenance or cleaning before winter starts.