Expert shares tips to keep your furnace running properly through arctic temperatures

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Heating and electrical workers have been busy around the clock with calls of broken furnaces. 

Workers at O'Leary's Plumbing, Heating and Electrical say they're already booking well into the night if you're looking for someone to come out and look at your furnace. 

But there are some things you can do now, before your furnace breaks, to make sure you have a warm holiday weekend without issues. 

- Always check your thermostat batteries

-Don't shut off vents in rooms you're not using

- Check that the filter on your furnace isn't clogged. 

"These are going to be the big things to make sure your furnace is working properly, because it's going to be working harder the next couple days than it is all year long," said Jason Neider, a service manager at O'Leary. "It's got to breath. Your furnace is like a lung." 

Neider says there are things you can do to prevent your pipes from freezing as well. 

- If you have pipes on outside walls, open your cupboard doors. It will help keep your pipes warm. 

- If your furnace or boiler goes down, put your water on a trickle. It will prevent your pipes from completely freezing and bursting. 

You should also know where the main water shut off is in your home, so you can turn it off if a pipe bursts.