High Desert Furnace Check Before the First Cold Night

High Desert nights can drop below freezing, so get your heat ready before the first cold snap. Swap the furnace filter, book a yearly tune-up with a licensed heating contractor, and test your carbon monoxide alarms. These three steps take little time and protect your home and everyone in it.

How cold does it get in the High Desert?

Victorville is about 2,875 feet up. The City of Victorville says winter temperatures can dip below freezing, and light snow happens now and then.

Higher spots get colder. Mojave Water Agency notes that winter lows in higher parts of the High Desert can reach 10°F or below. Your furnace may run every night from late fall into spring.

When should I change the furnace filter?

ENERGY STAR recommends checking your filter every month and cleaning or changing it when it's dirty. It warns that a dirty filter can push up energy bills and wear out equipment early.

Wind and dust are a fact of life here, so check more often after windy days. Steps:

1. Turn the thermostat off.
2. Find the filter slot at the furnace or behind the return-air grille.
3. Note the size printed on the old filter's edge.
4. Slide in the new filter with the airflow arrow pointing toward the furnace.
5. Write the date on the filter frame.

Buy a few spares so you're never stuck.

What happens at a furnace tune-up?

Fall is the time to book a heating check-up, before contractors get busy, per ENERGY STAR. For a gas furnace, its checklist has the contractor look at the heat exchanger, how the burner is burning, the gas pressure and every gas connection.

The U.S. Fire Administration also recommends a yearly professional cleaning and inspection for your furnace, fireplace or stove and its chimney. If you burn wood, add a chimney sweep to the list.

How do I use a gas furnace or wall heater safely?

Many High Desert homes heat with natural gas. The Town of Apple Valley lists Southwest Gas as the local gas utility, with an office in Victorville. Check your bill to confirm your provider. Some rural homes use propane instead.

For any gas furnace or wall heater:

• Leave a 3-foot clear zone around the heater: no curtains, furniture or boxes.
• Don't block vents or return-air grilles.
• Don't store paint, gas cans or cleaners near the heater or water heater.
• Don't heat the house with your oven or stovetop.
• Make sure you have working carbon monoxide alarms.

The CPSC recommends a CO alarm on each floor and near every sleeping area. Warning signs of CO poisoning include confusion, headache, nausea and dizziness. If you suspect it, get outside to fresh air, then call 911.

If you smell gas: The federal pipeline safety agency, PHMSA, advises against making any flame, using a phone or touching light switches near a leak, since a spark can ignite the gas. Get out, then call 911 from a neighbor's house or another spot well away from the leak. Once you're safe, also report it to your gas company's emergency line.

Are space heaters safe to use?

They can be, with care. Per the U.S. Fire Administration, portable heaters were behind just 3% of home heating fires each year from 2017 to 2019, yet 41% of the fatal ones.

• Give the heater 3 feet of open space on every side.
• Plug it straight into a wall outlet. Avoid extension cords.
• Shut it off before you step out of the room or fall asleep.

When should I call a licensed HVAC contractor?

Call a pro for your yearly tune-up, and any time the furnace won't heat, makes new noises or sets off a CO alarm. If you smell gas, leave first and call from outside.

In California, furnace work belongs to the C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning license class. Check any contractor's license on the CSLB license lookup.

Since January 1, 2025, California law requires a contractor's license for jobs of $1,000 or more, per the CSLB. A license is also needed for smaller jobs that require a permit or hired workers. Ask your city's building department whether your job needs a permit.

How Pleasant Hill can help

Thinking about selling or buying this winter? Contact us or search homes in the High Desert.

General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Rules, fees and rates change; confirm with the agency linked above or ask us. Pleasant Hill Real Estate Group · CA DRE Corp. #01997374 · AZ Entity Lic. #LC694532000 · Equal Housing Opportunity.