Conserving Heat in a Crisis

It’s the coldest night in the middle of winter, and suddenly your heat goes out. What do you do?

At Family Danz Heating & Cooling, we want to make sure everyone throughout the Capital District of New York State is prepared for the possibility that they will suddenly find themselves without heat — and that is never convenient in the dead of the cold season. We are just a telephone call away and will make an emergency trip out to help you, but until we get there you will want to conserve the heat you still have.

Plan ahead, in advance of any cold crisis, to be ready when the situation strikes. Make a note of what you have for auxiliary heat, like an electric space heater or a kerosene-fueled heater. What caused the situation will dictate what supplemental heat source will be helpful — if you lost power, for instance, that electric device will be useless without a generator.

If you do have a running heater, decide what parts of your home you can block off to conserve the warmth, because the less area it has to heat the more effective it will be. The heated areas should be well insulated and as far away from the windy “cold” side of the house as possible. Warm areas of sanctuary can be created by closing doors and hanging drapes and blankets over windows.

Collect the heavy garments, blankets, and materials that will keep you warm. Your bulky winter clothes will come in handy, as will sleeping bags, large towels, and even drapes and curtains. Bed is the warmest place to stay, underneath lots of covers and with other family members to conserve body heat.

If the problem is not in the furnace itself and it is still operating, make sure you prevent it from sending heat to unneeded areas. Adjust your thermostats accordingly and block off any heat ducts to maximize the heat flow to the areas where you are staying.

While conserving heat, make sure to drain the water from any pipes that might freeze. The frozen water expands as it becomes ice and can crack the pipes, making an even bigger mess once they thaw. If you can’t drain them, open the taps enough to keep a steady drip of warm water running through the line.

For more emergency preparedness tips, give Family Danz a call today.

Family Danz Heating & Cooling is a full-service heating and air conditioning contractor, offering sales and service all through the Capital District of New York State. If you would like more information on any of our services, call us at 518-427-8685.