Wake Up to a Blast of Cold Air? 3 Steps to Stay Warm While You Wait for Furnace Repairs

If you just woke up to find your heater went on the fritz overnight, you're probably looking for some quick ways to stay warm while you wait for repairs. Waking up to a home that's freezing cold is never a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, winter is a furnace-repair technician's busiest time of year, and that means you may have to play the waiting game until they can get to your repairs. The time you wait might be even longer if they need to order parts for your furnace. Here are three steps you can take to warm things up in your home while you wait for furnace to be repaired.

Turn Up the Humidity

During the summer, the last thing you want is humidity. However, during the winter, that same warm moisture is going to help warm your home. In fact, a humidifier can make your home feel several degrees warmer. While that might not seem like much, if your furnace is broken, those few degrees are going to help you weather the storm. Use a humidifier in each of the rooms you'll be using while the furnace is being repaired. If you don't have access to a humidifier, put a big pot of water on the stove to boil. The steam will give you the same effect. Once your furnace is working again, you should continue using the humidifiers to help keep your heating bills lower.

Get Baking

Using your oven as a heater is never advised. However, baking a cake while you wait for the furnace repairs is a great way to pass the time and heat your home. Instead of struggling through the cold, spend the day baking tasty treats for you and your family. You could even surprise your furnace-repair technician with a plate of home-baked goodies.

Close Off Unused Rooms

If the furnace isn't working, there's no reason to keep all the doors to your home open. That will just allow the cold air to flow through the house. To keep things warmer, close off all the unused rooms in your home. Have everyone come into the front portion of the house where the kitchen and family room are. Once the unused rooms are closed off, you'll be able to heat up the front of the house with your humidifier and your cake-filled oven.

If your furnace broke down overnight, use the simple tips provided here to keep warm while you wait for repairs. To keep your furnace in tiptop shape and prevent future emergency repairs, talk to an HVAC technician, such as one from Custom Comfort, about preventative maintenance.