Looks like we are in for a cold start to winter! With that said, we at Leith Heating & Cooling want to wish you all the best this holiday season as we are very thankful for you giving us the opportunity to serve you. We also like to offer up some advice on how to deal with the storm and provide you with some expectations on performance of your HVAC equipment.
Thursday evening through Christmas Day we may experience temperatures and wind chills that our homes’ heating systems are NOT really designed for. Sub zero temperatures with wind chills potentially reaching -20 to -30 degrees May stress our systems a bit.
Whether your home is older or newer, it is possible that your heating will struggle a bit. But don’t worry, as long as it is running and blowing warm air or if you have a boiler and your radiators are warm, it’ll be ok. Once the temps go up a little and the wind calms down, your equipment will cycle normally.
Here are few recommendations and pointers to consider as the storm approaches. Please keep in mind that these are general recommendations as we know not everyone has the same type of system.
  1. Consider raising your set temperature a degree or to above your normal setting
  2. Take all programmable thermostats out of setback mode and set on a permanent HOLD. (I like this a lot. I do this)
  3. If you have a furnace; replace the filter if you haven’t done so very recently ) if you have a large 4-5″ wide filter your likely ok. But, a clean filter is always better than a dirty one!
  4. Keep garage doors closed as much as possible.
  5. Limit opening exterior doors.
  6. Make sure air vents and radiators are not blocked or obstructed.
  7. If you have a 90%+ furnace and boiler: You must keep the intake and exhaust clear of ice and snow. (This is very important especially with the wind and blowing snow that this storm might have)
  8. During these cold temperatures, ice can build up. A 90%+ furnace and boiler May have 2 white PVC pipes; an exhaust pipe and an intake pipe that are generally on the side or back of your home. In some instances, they are on your roof, do NOT go on your roof to clear the pipe.
  9. Make sure all windows are closed properly and LOCKED. This is really important. Locking windows compresses the gasket and makes them so much more energy efficient. Unlocked windows can leak air very badly.
If the temperature in your home is dropping and your radiators are HOT with boiler systems or you have HOT air coming out of your vents with furnaces DO NOT PANIC. Please make sure that your heating system continues to operate.
If the temperatures drop in your home, it will not be able to recover until temperatures rise and the windchill diminishes. Our heating systems are not typically designed in our region to overcome super low temperature and high windchills . They are sized to operate at 0 degrees outdoor. Put your thermostat on hold 70 degrees or higher.
To help minimize temperature loss you can boil water, make soup, or stews; they help introduce humidity and warmer temperatures into your home. DO NOT USE YOUR OVEN or a GRILL TO HEAT YOUR HOME.
Please check on neighbors and elderly residents during these extreme temperatures. Stay warm and safe this holiday season and share this email with any of your family and friends.
From all of us at Leith Heating & Cooling, stay safe during this Holiday Season
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