5 Ways To Stay Warm When Your Heat Goes Out

Central Texas winters are bi-polar, and nothing makes that fact more apparent than running an HVAC service company. On Monday you'll have clients calling for air conditioning emergencies, Tuesday will see desperate pleas for heat, and Wednesday will be back to our technicians sweating on the job and our dispatcher wearing flip flops. For those of you who don't live in this area, or those who are just now calling Austin their home, this might seem like an exaggeration; it is not.

The thing is, these wintery days we'll get, they are truly unpredictable. Some winters we don't get them at all, which is something I happen to be fine with myself. Though this does mean that when ice and snow does rear its ugly head, it can catch us off guard, which is why we here at Austin Refrigeration & Air Conditioning always recommend to check your heater before the cold normally appears. Or, you know, have a Preventative Maintenance contract with us so we do it for you. But, let's say you aren't a member or you've forgotten to check if your heat does indeed work, and are just now realizing you have no heat. I'm sure you've called us, and we told you that we're on the way, but that doesn't do you a lot of good right this second. How do you stay warm while we're driving to you? What now?

Well, that's what today's blog is all about, that what now. These are tips we've tried ourselves, and they work, just probably not as well as you'd like. Especially with not being used to it down here in Central Texas, frigid cold is twice as biting to us than it is to our northern counterparts. Which is why you can always count on us to get to you in an emergency, because we know how harmful extreme cold can be. So, to keep you from freezing while you wait for us to arrive, here are five useful tips to stay warm when technology is failing you.

1. It may seem like common sense, but things can slip our minds and our attention, so make sure that all of your windows are securely closed. If they have latches, make sure they are being utilized, as that may be the difference in keeping your house warm. Or, at the very least, keep it from being less freezing.

Take some time to check if your windows are airtight as well. If you're worried there's too much air getting through, Home Depot sells removable window caulk as well as other similar items to seal them more effectively. Worst case scenario, just shove a towel or a sweater in front of the area producing a draft to act as a blocker. Disperse your laundry under any doors that lead outside too, especially if they haven't been weather stripped. Some people say shirts work just as well, but the thicker the material, the better it'll do at stopping the cold, or at least minimizing how much of the freezing weather gets inside of your home.

2. Here's a little clever trick to keep the cold out. You know those cheap shower liners? Of course you do, we've all got at least one. Put that up over your windows. Just like in the shower, it will keep cold out, but since they are transparent, it'll let the heat from the sun warm your home.

In addition to the shower liner, put up some heavy curtains. The heaviest you can find, and make sure they are closed except when sunlight is beaming directly into your home. The more barriers you can create between you and the cold, the warmer you and yours will remain.

3. If heat seems to escape far too quicky on cold days, you may have an insulation issue. Make sure your attic is properly insulated, and if you aren't sure if it is or not, call us and we'll help you figure it out. On the flip side of that, lay down some extra rugs, or even think about converting to carpet, as wood and stone floors let go of heat a lot faster than a heavily padded walking space.

4. In sort of the same vein as creating barriers by using a shower liner and curtains, close off any unused rooms. The doors being closed will act as a barrier to keep the cold from those rooms away from you while trapping the heat in where you and yours are hunkering down. Treat your interior doors the same as the ones leading directly outside and throw some towels or sweaters down too. When your heat is off and you are waiting on the repairman, every degree counts.

5. Cook a chili or a tomato sauce, crank up the fireplace, plug in the space heater, light some candles (despite what it does to your air quality) and turn on your incandescent (not compact fluorescent & LED) light bulbs because Austin, the more heat you create, the more heat you will have. There's a reason why the north cooks so many soups; it gets really cold up there! Take advantage of the situation and figure out ways to make Texan versions of classic recipes. One of these days I'll master Texan Clam Chowder. I also suggest you check out our clean air website to learn more about how candles turn your air into poison at AustinCleanAir.com.

We hope you learned at least a thing or two reading this article, but if you already knew everything we wrote about, sorry, you're not getting any relief until a technician can show up. Stay warm out there my fellow Austinites, and as always, call us at 512-837-0036 or visit our website at AustinRefrigeration.us if you have any questions or need to schedule a service call.