Have you turned on the heat in your own home or business yet? If so, you know the season is upon us. That first cold snap can usher in problems for homeowners as furnaces that haven’t groaned to life in months fail and frozen pipes become a concern. It results in a flood of emergency calls for both plumbing and HVAC. Are you ready? A successful heating season takes a blend of careful preparation, smart scheduling, and clear communication

Here’s your Heating Season Readiness Checklist that will ensure you’re ready to rumble when that cold snap hits. 

Equipment, Inventory, and Team

Take time now to make sure your people have the tools and parts they need to complete jobs efficiently.

Check inventory. Are you stocked up? Review your inventory of parts for furnaces, boilers, water heaters, and other equipment your team typically services in the fall and winter months. Get clear on lead times for replacement parts, too. Customers without heat don’t want to wait for you to get the part they need.

Service your fleet of vehicles. Make sure your trucks and/or vans are good to go under the hood. Any necessary repairs and tune ups should be in your rearview mirror before the temperatures dip below freezing. The last thing you need is for a vehicle to fail during your busy season.

Check diagnostic tools and equipment. Run your diagnostic tools through their paces to make sure they’re working properly and on target.

Get everyone’s PTO time on the calendar now. Who is taking time off, and when? Does anyone have extended PTO lined up? Do you have the holidays covered? Making sure everyone’s PTO is on the calendar and knowing you’re covered during their off timers can be a puzzle, so do it early in the season. 

Do a quick refresh on safety procedures. Your good people know how important safely is on the job, especially when they’re working in frigid winter conditions. A quick refresher is always a good idea before that season starts. Review carbon monoxide risks, combustion safety, electrical hazards, and proper procedures for working in cold conditions.

Communication is Key

Even with the best planning, your techs can still get into the weeds with emergency calls. Delays happen — it’s just a fact of life. Good communication and follow-up is the key.

Use automated texts or dispatch software to confirm appointments, send technician arrival notifications, and communicate schedule changes. Don’t have that technology? Assign your dispatcher or office manager to do it.

Refresh your techs on customer communication. It’s easy to rush through explanations and findings when the clock is ticking. Give your techs a cheat sheet of points to cover during a job, repair options, pricing, future work that might be done, and written approval for them to perform service.

Heating season will always bring surprises, but solid prep on the front end will save you headaches on the back end.