COLD WEATHER ADVISORY - Brutally cold weather preparations you need to make!
Unless you've been hibernating … you know that the next two days are going to be brutally cold. So, we just wanted to give you a few tips that might help you out as we wait for warmer weather:
1 - Your furnace may run a lot longer or even run NON-STOP over the next couple of days. This abnormally cold weather will test the limits of your heating system. In extreme temperatures (sub-zero), your furnace may not be able to keep up with your home's heat loss rate. This can cause the inside temperature to drop and be maintained at a lower than normal level. In that event, when outside temperatures rise above zero, inside temperatures should normalize. Typically, as long as your furnace is blowing warm air, it is operating OK.
2 - Check the condition of your furnace filter NOW. A dirty filter causes LOTS of problems for furnaces (more on that in another post, later). If it's dirty, put a fresh one in to help ensure that your system can "breathe" easily and run at peak performance.
3 - Ensure that your outside furnace vents are free of any obstructions such as snow, ice or other debris. Blockages will cause your furnace's safety features to shut it down if they are even partially blocked.
4 - Have an emergency plan in place (alternate safe heat source, extra blankets, secondary water source, etc.) in the event of a furnace failure or a power outage. Be prepared for this frigid weather event like you would for any other one.
Oh, and … if you don't mind … please leave at least one loaf of bread and a gallon of milk on the shelves at Kroger's, OK? I haven't made it into town, yet. :)
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