Winter’s below-freezing temperatures have arrived, and we’ve pulled out parkas and boots, hats and gloves to protect ourselves against cold weather’s worst. Thankfully, we can remain comfortable and cozy indoors all year long… until the furnace breaks down.
Don’t let your family get stuck in the cold! Knowing how to respond when you need emergency heating repair will enable you to protect your home and restore that cozy wintertime sanctuary your home was meant to be. Here are some practical tips from your local HVAC professionals at Ideal Heating and Air.
1. Use Your Nose to Sniff out Danger
If you have a gas furnace, it’s fueled by natural gas supplemented with mercaptan. This is a safety measure, as natural gas is odorless and tasteless. Mercaptan has a sulfuric smell. This is to help you recognize a gas leak quickly.
If you smell that “rotten egg” scent, turn your gas off quickly. Get your family out of the house and open windows or doors to ventilate the rooms.
2. Troubleshoot Furnace Issues
Often when the heat isn’t working, there’s a very simple and practical reason for it. Before initiating family crisis mode, investigate these common culprits.
- If your heat is electric, check the breaker box to make sure a power surge or outage did not trip the breaker for your unit.
- If you have a gas furnace, check the power switch, and make sure it hasn’t been turned off.
- Ensure you have fresh batteries in your thermostat and the device shows a display.
- Check filters and clean or replace them as needed.
3. Stay Safe While Awaiting Emergency Heating Repair
In the worst-case scenario- your heater is out, and there is unavoidable delay in getting it up and running again- you can keep your family safe and make the best of an uncomfortable situation.
Begin by “closing in the circle.” Choose one area in the house that everyone will congregate in. Close off other rooms. Ideally, the gathering room has a fireplace or is located at the center of the house with maximum insulation from the cold outside.
Next, provide further insulation to the room by making sure windows and doors are securely closed. Roll up towels and place them at thresholds and in windowsills to block out drafts if you find any. Close blinds and curtains and block off any potential avenues of escape for the warmth you’ll be able to generate.
Light the fireplace or plug in a space heater. Remember, fire hazards with space heaters are a serious threat, so keep it on a level surface away from drapes, furniture, and any other flammable objects.
Bundle up. Put all that cozy winter wear to good use. Layer up each family member in thermals, coats, hats, gloves, and whatever you need to keep them snug. Gather up blankets and comforters for additional layers of coziness. Remember how important it is to protect extremities from frostbite!
Protecting the pipes is another important concern. As the temperatures drop, the pipes can freeze…with the potential to burst. Prevent this disaster by setting faucets around the house to drip slowly. If you have exposed pipe in the basement or other vulnerable areas, consider adding space heaters nearby to keep the temperature above freezing. For pipes in the house that are located in cabinets or closets, open those doors and let the warmer air circulate.
5. Choose Preventative Maintenance to Protect Your Family
While a furnace can unpredictably and suddenly die, this is rare. In most situations, you can see and hear warning signs that will prevent you from finding yourself in an extreme situation. These are the most common ones.
- Clogged filters result in very dry air and sluggish air flow.
- Temperatures vary widely from room to room. This could indicate an issue with the ductwork that may need repair.
- A burning smell (beyond burning off the dust the first time you use the unit in a season) could indicate something is in your unit that should not be or that components are worn out and in need of replacement.
- Strange noises are a warning sign that the unit needs servicing.
- If you have an electric furnace, inexplicably high power bills with no other logical explanation suggest your furnace is working overtime and inefficiently.
If you have any of these warning signs that your furnace is not operating well, save money and protect your family by addressing these issues proactively. You may also find it beneficial to talk to your local Ideal Heating and Air about routine maintenance options.
Additionally, if you don’t have one already, for added safety, consider installing a carbon monoxide detector, which looks and acts similarly to a smoke detector. This can alert you to danger from a gas leak whether you can smell it or not.
Call on the Professionals.
Winter weather is a serious threat, and if you find yourself needing an emergency heating repair, don’t delay in calling the professionals at Ideal Heating and Air. Your safety and comfort are our priorities, and we’ll be on the job quickly to get your unit working again. But remember, you don’t have to wait for a crisis to get preventative maintenance done. Give us a call today!
