Safe Options for Keeping Your Family Warm While Waiting for Heating Repairs
ShareThere is no worse time of the year for your home's source of heat to die than right in the middle of winter. The exceptions are that it dies right in the middle of an arctic cold snap, or during one of the worst blizzards your state has ever seen. If you find yourself in this position, it may be a few days before an HVAC technician can make it to your house and fix the problem. Hopefully, it will be two days or less, but those two days may be the longest you experience in a cold house. If you have kids, pets, and a spouse to worry about during this time, you need some way of keeping warm and doing it safely. Here are a few options.
Evacuate to a Hotel
If you can, go to a hotel. The kids will think it is a staycation, and everyone can enjoy the continental breakfast and the pool. You may have to do more ferrying around with the kids and school, but if they are taking snow days, then that is not an issue anyway. If you cannot get to a hotel, or you cannot afford this option, there are still more things you can do to stay warm.
Stoke up the Fireplace and Camp in Front of It
If you are lucky enough to have a working fireplace in your home, this is an easy option. Make sure the flue is open, and start a fire on the hearth. The fireplace will produce enough warmth to keep that one room and one or two adjoining rooms warm enough for a few days. Everyone can camp out in that room by sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags or on the furniture. Use big dry logs to keep the fire burning, but be sure to close the screen to prevent sparks from starting a fire in the house.
Bundle in Layers and Sleep in the Same Bed
Chances are, the pets and kids already crawl into bed with you regularly. When your heat is done for, break out any heating pads or heating blankets you own. Bundle all the little ones in layers of clothes, then share the big people's bed. Everyone will stay toasty until the HVAC technician can arrive for repairs to your furnace.
Heating services don't take too long; for more information about repairs big or small, contact local HVAC technicians.