(ABC 6 News) – Winter storms like this week’s can out your heating system to the test, but heating ventilation and cooling (HVAC) experts say you can fight back.

Experts say it’s important to know where the exhaust and intake for the furnace are located; make sure they are clear of snow and keep an eye on them as temperatures continue to drop.

If something blocks those pipes the furnace could shut down and refuse to fire up.

Don’t forget to check your filters, too. A dirty filter could shut down the furnace, something HVAC technicians with Lowden Plumbing and Heating see a lot.

“So when you get a dirty filter, the biggest thing during the winter months is it’s going to run more. Your tempatures’s going to get hotter and hotter as it runs and you’ll go out on what’s called the limit,” advised Mitchell LeMaster, a technician with Lowden. “It’ll just shut down your furnace and say ‘hey I’m not going to heat your house.'”

Experts at Lowden also say that if you notice things just not working at all, first check the batteries in your thermostats. A simple fix like that could save you hundreds of dollars in an unnecessary service call.