Heating and air conditioning business owners tell News 12 New Jersey that they have been busy making repairs to HVAC systems in homes across the state due to the drop in temperatures.

“Obviously the more cold days in a row the busier we get,” says Edison Heating and Cooling president Michael Iarrapino. “We have 68 trucks on the road and over 100 technicians. It’s very taxing but we’re here if people need us.”

Iarrapino says that to make sure a heater is ready for the cold temperatures, homeowners should check their air filters each month. A dirty filter will make a furnace or heat pump work harder. Regular maintenance will ensure heating ducts are secured and wrapped tight to keep heat from escaping.

Experts say that wet and dry heating systems can struggle in freezing cold temperatures. But Iarrapino says that if the system should break when it’s cold out, its homeowners don’t need to panic.

“Basically a lot of people think when it’s cold like this their pipes are going to freeze when their heat breaks,” he says. “Your pipes are not going to freeze in an hour or two. It takes days of below freezing for a pipe to start breaking.”

Experts say that once the system is working correctly, make sure that furniture is moved away from vents. They also advise using insulated curtains and keeping them open during the day to bring in warm sunlight.

Other ways to keep a home warm include making sure a fireplace damper is closed when not in use. Home insulation should also be checked to make sure the home is being heated efficiently.

Temperatures across the Garden State are expected to remain below the freezing mark for the rest of the month.