Dealing With An Emergency Furnace Outage In The Cold? Try This!
When temperatures get frigid, your furnace works exceptionally hard to maintain a comfortable temperature inside your home. If you have an ailing or outdated system when the temperatures get really cold, you do have to be alert to signs of system failure. Usually, a heating system that already has issues will fail when the operational demands are most taxing.
In the event that your furnace goes out on a super-cold day and you have to wait for a heating contractor to arrive, it will be helpful to know what to do to stay warm. Take a closer look at a few things to help you stay comfortable until the heating services contractor arrives for furnace repair.
First, get what heat you can from your furnace.
There will always be situations when a furnace should not be used when it quits working. However, there are also situations when you may be able to do something to get at least a bit of heat from the system in an emergency. For example, if the furnace continually shuts down, you may still be able to use the system intermittently to get small bursts of heat into your home. If this is what your furnace is doing, shut off all vents except those in an enclosed room in the house. This will funnel all available heat the furnace produces to one room so you get the most of what is available.
Second, use blankets to insulate drafty areas.
If the heating contractor tells you it will be a few hours before they arrive, the goal will be to hold as much heat in the house as possible. Keep all exterior doors and windows closed, but do what you can to protect the house from drafts as well. Gather up heavy blankets and towels and use them to block drafts around doors. Hang heavier blankets over drafty windows as well. Don't forget to block off the door to the basement, garage, and attic.
Third, use an alternate heat source in a confined area.
If your furnace is not producing any heat at all, gather everyone into the smallest room that can be closed off. If you have a space heater or alternate heat source that can be used safely, use this heat source to keep only one small room at a comfortable temperature. If you don't have a space heater but you do have a tent, consider setting up the tent and covering it with blankets. With everyone inside, your body heat can be enough to keep the small space warm.
Contact a heating contractor if your furnace has broken down.