Everyone loves a cool blast of air-conditioned air in the summer, but most people aren't giving much thought to their furnaces or other parts of their heating systems. If you're neglecting your heating system over the summer, you might be making a costly mistake. Maintaining your HVAC system is a year-round endeavor, even when your furnace sits idle in the heat.

Fortunately, it doesn't take much to ensure that your furnace is ready to go when cold weather returns. These three tips are all you need to make sure that you don't neglect your furnace when the sun is shining and the weather is warm.

1. Deal With Your Spring Cleaning

Spring is a great time to deal with some quick furnace maintenance, especially if your home uses central air conditioning. Since your heating and cooling systems share several components, cleaning these items now helps maintain your furnace and keep your AC running efficiently. At a minimum, you should check and replace your furnace's air filter.

If you want to go a step further, spring or early summer are excellent times to clean in and around your furnace. Cleaning the blower and the main compartment can help extend the life of the burners, but always turn off power and gas to the furnace first. If you aren't comfortable with this procedure, an HVAC technician can help you get the job done.

2. Perform a Quick Inspection

Since most homeowners install their HVAC equipment in the basement or a utility closet, it's usually out of sight and out of mind, which can allow problems to go unnoticed. Even if you aren't an HVAC expert, you can still perform some quick visual checks on your furnace and the surrounding area to ensure that everything is in order.

Good areas to inspect include the wiring and the vent plumbing. Frayed wiring and sagging or cracked flue pipes are two dangerous conditions that will require immediate attention, for example. You should also ensure that the carbon monoxide detector near your furnace has batteries and works correctly. Finally, confirm that your furnace isn't displaying any error codes.

3. Schedule Your Annual Service

You should always have an HVAC technician service your home's equipment at least once per year. This annual maintenance visit allows a professional to clean and inspect the areas too challenging for most homeowners to handle independently. The summer is an excellent time to perform this task since you won't be using your furnace.

Even better, some HVAC companies that specialize in heating services may be less busy over the summer, allowing you more flexibility with scheduling. You'll be able to discover any problems that may exist and deal with them before you need to turn your furnace back on for the winter. By taking these simple maintenance steps when it's warm, you'll ensure that your home remains cozy all winter long.