When winterizing your home, it’s smart to hire a professional to inspect your furnace. But that doesn’t mean your work is done the rest of the year. Just as a car needs routine maintenance, so does your furnace.

Consider these tips from the BBBGuide on how to keep your furnace working at its most efficient level:

Change or clean the filter: “The filter is perhaps the most important part of the furnace, as it affects the air residents are breathing as well as heating costs,” notes BBB. A dirty filter results in dirty air and blocks airflow, causing the furnace to work harder than necessary. If you are using an inexpensive fiberglass filter, be sure to change it once a month. Higher efficiency filters, such as an electrostatic filter that’s reusable should be cleaned every other month.

Inspect the interior of the furnace: While the filter panel is removed, take time to check the inner workings of the system. Inspect the blower assembly, pulleys and belts for wear and dirt and the burner chamber for holes and corrosion.

Keep registers free of clutter: Do you have objects stacked against your heat registers? Has dust and pet hair built up in the vents? The easiest way to help heat efficiency is to be sure the registers aren’t obstructed by such things.

Check the thermostat: Note the temperature. If it doesn’t seem to correspond with the temperature in your home, you may want to call in a professional.