With any luck, you won’t need emergency heat this winter, but if you do, use these ideas to get through a power outage. While you can handle being overly cold for a few hours, it’s not healthy over a prolonged period, even if you stay inside your home.
Dependable Heat Sources
Portable or tent heaters. Some of these heaters are capable of provide enough heat to keep you comfortable during a power outage. Be sure that they are safe to use indoors. Always keep a window cracked open slightly to dilute any harmful gases they emit.
Ventless heaters. Although they are considered safe, use a ventless heater or fireplace with caution. Each has an oxygen depletion sensor that shuts the heater off when room oxygen falls too low. When you use such a heater, you’re depending on the integrity of the oxygen sensor to keep you safe. But when your health and comfort depend on staying warm enough, a ventless heater will provide the heat you need. Keep a window or open to prevent a carbon monoxide buildup indoors.
Wood burning fireplaces and stoves. Nothing is as warm and inviting as a wood fire in a cold house. They are safe as long as you have the chimney and firebox cleaned professionally periodically.
Before using any of these resources, be sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working.
Preserve the Heat You Have
Making your home more energy efficient will not only retain the heat indoors longer, it will cut your heating costs for the winter. Seal the air leaks and add insulation in the attic if it’s lacking. Choose a room in your home to gather that is naturally warmer than the rest. Hard surface floors tend to be cooler but you can lay extra rugs, blankets and towels over them to preserve body heat.
Having an emergency heat source in this area will keep you safer whenever the power goes out or you experience a furnace problem. For more information about prevention, contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide HVAC services for Lorain-area homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area