At Lancaster Furnace & Air Conditioning, we take great pride in being able to offer some of the best residential furnace products and services in the local market at prices that are fair and affordable.
Having been in the HVAC industry for many years, we’re all too familiar with those big storms that knock out the power and leave us without heat.
Although there isn’t a lot we can do about the power going out, we can at least share a few of our favorite tips on ways you warm your home without the furnace!
Steps We Suggest Taking When the Heat Goes Out
Things You Should Do
- Call your power company to notify them immediately if the power has gone out. If someone has already called, like your neighbors, call them anyways because a lot of utility companies prioritize which areas to restore first based on the total number of callers. In other words, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
- If you own a standby generator, use it to restore the more basic and essential appliances, such as space heaters and anything else you deem necessary while you wait for your power company. Until things are back online, be mindful of generator safety guidelines — like never run a generator indoors or near any open windows that would allow exhaust fumes to get inside. If you don’t own a generator, this is something you might consider investing in for times like these.
- Be mindful of where you put your space heaters. You need to establish them on level flooring in a safe location away from anything flammable like boxes, fuel, clothes, trash, curtains and drapes. Whenever you leave the room, make sure you always turn off your space heaters if you don’t expect to be needing it.
- Throw on some extra layers in the home. Bundle up and gather your hats, scarves and gloves.
- If your home is equipped with a gas or wood fireplace, make sure the flue is open, the chimney is functional before lighting it and only use it when you’re home.
- Give us a call right away if the reason for your loss of it is not the result of a power outage.
Things You Should Not Do
- Although it might seem tempting to improvise when the heat goes out and it’s cold outside, you should never use anything to heat your home that wasn’t made specifically to do just that and has been verified as being safe and effective. This includes large appliances like grills or turning up your oven and leaving it open. Not only is this a fire hazard, but it can also create dangerous fumes.
- As much as humanly possible, try to avoid opening your refrigerator or freezer while the power is down. Doing so will release cold air into your home and can make food spoil faster. You need to keep the insides of these as cold as possible to prevent your food from spoiling too quickly.
- Try to avoid getting wet in any way — you’ll never get warm if your clothes are wet and who knows how long you’re going to go without your washer and dryer.
We are standing by, whenever your heat goes out! Call right away!
With all that said, we truly hope these tips help you stay warm if the power goes out in your home. If you want a trusted, trained professional to look at it when the power is restored, call Lancaster Furnace & Air Conditioning today at (740) 625-2320 or schedule an appointment now by clicking here!
