Although a qualified service technician should perform annual maintenance and efficiency tune-ups, homeowners can do some of the work.
Building codes now require that every home with a combustion appliance or attached garage must have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector, one located near the furnace or appliance or one within 5 m (15 ft.) of each bedroom door."
For a forced-air system, keep return-air grilles and warm-air vents clean and free of obstructions, and change or clean filters every three months or as they become loaded. Vacuum the radiators of electric or hydronic baseboard systems each autumn to prevent dust buildup. If the heating fins are bent, gently straighten them with a plastic comb to improve their efficiency.
Hydronic systems perform best when radiators are relatively free of air bubbles and operating at correct pressures. This means bleeding radiators regularly unless the system has an automatic bleeding capability. Automatically achieve further savings with an outdoor reset control that adjusts the operating temperature of the circulating water according to outdoor temperatures.