01/23/2026
Brr! It’s cold!
As we deal with cold temps and blowing/drifting snow, here are a few tips to get you through this blustery weather.
1. Keep your furnace/boiler vents clear of snow! Snow can easily drift and build up around vents, causing your equipment to shut down. This is a very common call we get in these conditions.
2. Be sure your furnace filter is changed! Increased run cycles can result in a warmer heat exchanger temperature. A plugged filter can cause this to get too warm and trip a safety limit.
3. Avoid large temperature swings in your thermostat operation or scheduling. If you have a large drop, expect it to take several hours to reach set point.
4. Boilers: this is especially important for boilers with in-floor heat or baseboard radiant. While radiant heat is very comfortable, it often has a much slower recovery rate. If you do have a boiler with multiple zones, make sure you have all of the zones turned up! A zone that is not calling for hours on end close to an exterior wall can spell disaster! Freezing, bursting pipes, and water damage are all a risk.
5. Make sure you have alternative sources of heat! If you do not have a fireplace, wood stove, or some other permanent source of heat, it is strongly advised that you have a couple of electric space heaters! If you do use these, do not leave them unattended, and always inspect your heaters to ensure they are safe to operate.
6. If your heat does go out, expect to wait several hours minimum before a service company can show up. All service companies are extremely busy right now!
7. If you do require service, it’s especially important to be kind, courteous, and patient with your service company. From the office staff, to the technician. While a lot of businesses are closed in weather like this, many trade and utilities businesses are out about in the cold ensuring you as a customer are taken care. It is very dangerous to be driving around in these elements, let alone being exposed to them working on outdoor equipment.
