When the heat goes out at home, it's miserable. When it goes out at a business, it can mean closing the doors for the day, sending staff home, losing inventory, or fielding calls from a building full of cold tenants. Whether you run a shop in Frenchtown, an office in downtown Missoula, a restaurant in Hamilton, or a mixed-use building near Polson, a little planning now can save you a much bigger headache in January.
I'm Jeremy, owner of ProCare Climate. I started the company in July 2026, but I've spent more than ten years doing hands-on HVAC work for homes and businesses around Western Montana. Here's what I'd want every business owner and property manager to think about before the real cold settles in.
Commercial Systems Work Harder Than You Think
Commercial heating equipment often runs long hours, serves bigger spaces, and deals with doors that open and close all day. Many buildings have more than one system: a rooftop unit over the sales floor, a furnace or unit heater in the back, maybe a boiler serving the whole building. Each one is a separate thing that can fail, and they rarely get noticed until something stops working.
Older buildings around Missoula and the Bitterroot also tend to have a mix of equipment added over the years. That's not a problem in itself, but it means it's worth knowing exactly what you have, where it is, and when it was last looked at.
A Pre-Winter Checklist for Business Owners
Here are the basics I'd check before a cold snap hits:
Schedule a heating tune-up. A professional inspection of burners, heat exchangers, igniters, controls, and venting catches worn parts before they leave you without heat. Gas and propane equipment should also be checked for safe combustion and proper venting.
Change filters, and change them more often. Commercial spaces with lots of foot traffic, dust, or kitchen grease clog filters faster than homes do. A clogged filter makes equipment work harder and can trip safety limits.
Check rooftop units after storms. Snow, ice, and wind can damage panels, block intakes, or bury exhaust. Make sure someone knows how to get on the roof safely, or call a pro to do it.
Keep vents and intakes clear. High-efficiency equipment with PVC vent pipes on a side wall can shut down if drifting snow covers them. Plowed snow piles are a common culprit at businesses.
Look at your thermostats and schedules. Setback schedules save energy overnight and on weekends, but make sure the building has time to warm up before staff and customers arrive, and that no one has overridden settings in a way that leaves pipes at risk.
Know where your shutoffs are. Make sure managers know where the gas or propane shutoff, the water shutoff, and the electrical disconnects are.
Buildings with Boiler Heat
Lots of older commercial and apartment buildings in Missoula run on hot-water boiler heat. Those systems are dependable, but one failed pump or zone valve can leave a whole building cold. Before winter, it's worth having the boiler serviced, checking pressure, bleeding air from the system, and making sure circulators and zone controls are working. If your boiler also heats domestic water through an indirect water heater, that's another reason to keep it in good shape. You can learn more on our boiler service in Missoula page.
Shops, Garages, and Warehouses
Shops and warehouses with big overhead doors lose a lot of heat every time a door opens. Unit heaters and radiant heaters in these spaces need clean burners, working fans, and clear venting just like a home furnace does. If you have a heated floor in a shop, the boiler or heat source behind it needs regular attention too.
Planning a Replacement or New Build
If your equipment is getting old, or you're building or remodeling a commercial space, the best time to plan is before something fails. A rushed replacement in the middle of a cold snap leaves you with fewer choices. Planning ahead gives you time to compare options like high-efficiency gas or propane equipment, heat pumps, or boiler and radiant systems, and to size them properly for the space.
ProCare Climate does commercial and new-construction HVAC work, and I pull the permits and schedule the inspections, so that paperwork isn't on you. I work on all brands, major or not, so whatever is already in your building, I can take a look.
When Something Goes Wrong After Hours
Heating problems don't wait for business hours, and neither do we. ProCare Climate is open 24/7. If your building loses heat on a Sunday night or during a holiday, call and we'll work to get you back up and running. If you ever smell gas or propane, get everyone out first and call your gas utility or propane supplier, or 911, from outside.
Serving Businesses Across Western Montana
We work with businesses and building owners in Missoula, Lolo, Frenchtown, Stevensville, Hamilton, Polson, and across Western Montana, including the Lolo Creek and US 12 corridor and the Flathead Lake area around Polson.
Need a tune-up, a repair, or a plan for new equipment? Call ProCare Climate any time at 406-546-1289, or request a free install estimate on our website. We'll help keep your doors open and your building warm all winter.