{"id":201,"date":"2015-02-18T14:00:36","date_gmt":"2015-02-18T20:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/?p=201"},"modified":"2021-02-08T16:30:45","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T22:30:45","slug":"12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is not often that Nashville experiences extreme cold weather for several days in a row, so this year has been quite unusual in that regard.\u00a0 Everyone is worried not only about staying warm, but the increased energy costs associated with the extreme cold.\u00a0 Here are some tips that will ensure your home or business remains warm, and keeps your energy bills low, despite the frigid cold temperatures.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Get a tune up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>The best defense against heating problems is to make sure your system is maintained year-round.\u00a0 Having heating equipment serviced once before the heating season and once before the cooling season can reduce your heating bill and prevent costly repairs, breakdowns, and ensure your system is operating at peak efficiency.<\/li>\n
  2. Clean\/change the filters<\/strong>.\u00a0 Dirty air filters reduce your system’s efficiency and thus can cause your system to work harder.\u00a0 Replace air filters regularly a minimum of every 3 months – and do not block air inlets or outlets with furniture or drapes that restrict proper airflow.<\/li>\n
  3. Use a humidifier.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>During cold weather, increased use of your heater causes the home and its interior air to become dryer than usual.\u00a0 A humidifier can help add needed moisture, and can also improve health issues like dry sinuses, while saving energy.\u00a0 Since moist air holds heat, you may feel more comfortable at a lower heat setting.\u00a0 Be sure you maintain the humidifier properly: clean or replace the filters regularly and wash the base and reservoir.<\/li>\n
  4. Resist using the fireplace unless it’s an emergency.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Fireplaces can waste a lot of energy, as they pull warm air out of the house and force it out through the chimney.\u00a0 Make sure the damper is closed when you’re not using your fireplace.\u00a0 Installing glass doors can also help keep heat in your home when the fireplace is not in use.<\/li>\n
  5. Use exhaust fans sparingly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>You lose heated air through exhaust fans, so turn them off when not in use during colder weather.\u00a0 Not only do they pull heated air out of your house, but they can also cause negative pressure inside your home that can lead to back drafts from your fireplace and can cause drafts through the walls, windows and un-insulated outlets in your home.<\/li>\n
  6. Prevent the drain line from freezing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>If you have a high efficiency furnace, there is a drain line that runs from the unit to the outside or into some kind of drain.\u00a0 Know where that line is and make sure it is protected from freezing.\u00a0 A frozen or plugged up drain line will cause your furnace to shut down.\u00a0 If it does freeze, thaw it out (use a hair dryer, never an open flame!), turn off the breaker to your furnace, and turn it back on again to reset it.\u00a0 It should fire back up.\u00a0 If you see water around your furnace, chances are the drain line is plugged up at some point, and must be cleared.\u00a0 Check out our previous post about condensate drainage\u00a0here.<\/li>\n
  7. Address non-HVAC-related air flow issues.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Close up any drafts, seal gaps and cracks around windows and doors (good weather-stripping or caulking usually does the trick), replace old windows or install window insulation kits, and look for places where heat may be escaping and\/or cold air is rushing in.\u00a0 Lack of adequate attic insulation is the main reason heating bills can climb sky high, so extra attic insulation is a good investment.<\/li>\n
  8. Take advantage of natural heating.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>On sunny days, adjust blinds so they are open and tilted toward the ceiling, but be sure to close the blinds at sundown.<\/li>\n
  9. Be prepared for power loss.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>In extreme cold, the power grid can get overloaded, and winter weather (snow and ice) can bring down tree limbs and cut power lines.\u00a0 Keep candles, matches, blankets, flashlights, and a battery-powered radio handy.\u00a0 When utilizing alternate heating sources, such as your fireplace or wood stove, take the necessary safety precautions.\u00a0 Keep a fire extinguisher handy and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.\u00a0 Never run the fireplace without first opening the damper!<\/li>\n
  10. Give the HVAC unit breathing space.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Do not store anything too close to your indoor HVAC equipment, and definitely do not store anything flammable – paint, paint thinners, rags, glues, gasoline, cleaning solvents, and other chemicals – near your gas furnace or gas water heater.\u00a0 Not only is it a safety hazard, but HVAC systems need air in order to burn properly and to draft, or carry the harmful by-products of combustion out the flue.\u00a0 So, remove the clutter.<\/li>\n
  11. If you are going away<\/strong>\u00a0for an extended time, don’t switch the heat off!\u00a0 Leave it on a low setting to ensure nothing freezes.\u00a0 Water pipes that break from being frozen cause major damage. \u00a0Have a neighbor check on your home while you’re gone.<\/li>\n
  12. Carbon monoxide is deadly.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0One of the biggest threats from the cold is carbon monoxide poisoning.\u00a0 Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can kill quickly if it builds up in a home.\u00a0 Symptoms are nausea, headaches and disorientation.\u00a0 Carbon monoxide is produced by heating systems as a by-product of combustion.\u00a0 Make sure your heating system is properly ventilated.\u00a0 If you are heating up your car in the garage, make sure the garage door is open and close any access to your home.\u00a0 If you find yourself stranded in your car, make sure your tailpipe is clear of snow, or the carbon monoxide can flow back into your car.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    It is not often that Nashville experiences extreme cold weather for several days in a row, so this year has been quite unusual in that regard.\u00a0 Everyone is worried not only about staying warm, but the increased energy costs associated with the extreme cold.\u00a0 Here are some tips that will ensure your home or business…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,24],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold - Interstate AC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold - Interstate AC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It is not often that Nashville experiences extreme cold weather for several days in a row, so this year has been quite unusual in that regard.\u00a0 Everyone is worried not only about staying warm, but the increased energy costs associated with the extreme cold.\u00a0 Here are some tips that will ensure your home or business...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Interstate AC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Interstate-AC-368179083248282\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-02-18T20:00:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-02-08T22:30:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Erik Rostad\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erik Rostad\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Erik Rostad\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e0f4bd6130808c6e41a2ae9121b3e869\"},\"headline\":\"12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-02-18T20:00:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-02-08T22:30:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/\"},\"wordCount\":916,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"General Advice\",\"Heat\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/\",\"name\":\"12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold - Interstate AC\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-02-18T20:00:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-02-08T22:30:45+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/\",\"name\":\"Interstate AC\",\"description\":\"Nashville HVAC\/Heating Installation, Maintenance, and Repair\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Interstate AC\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/interstate-ac.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/interstate-ac.png\",\"width\":341,\"height\":98,\"caption\":\"Interstate AC\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Interstate-AC-368179083248282\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/InterstateACService\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e0f4bd6130808c6e41a2ae9121b3e869\",\"name\":\"Erik Rostad\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/372df6764fa33c4ac136fa68e2b8c674?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/372df6764fa33c4ac136fa68e2b8c674?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Erik Rostad\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.eprcreations.com\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold - Interstate AC","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold - Interstate AC","og_description":"It is not often that Nashville experiences extreme cold weather for several days in a row, so this year has been quite unusual in that regard.\u00a0 Everyone is worried not only about staying warm, but the increased energy costs associated with the extreme cold.\u00a0 Here are some tips that will ensure your home or business...","og_url":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/","og_site_name":"Interstate AC","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Interstate-AC-368179083248282\/","article_published_time":"2015-02-18T20:00:36+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-02-08T22:30:45+00:00","author":"Erik Rostad","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Erik Rostad","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/"},"author":{"name":"Erik Rostad","@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e0f4bd6130808c6e41a2ae9121b3e869"},"headline":"12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold","datePublished":"2015-02-18T20:00:36+00:00","dateModified":"2021-02-08T22:30:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/"},"wordCount":916,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["General Advice","Heat"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/","url":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/","name":"12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold - Interstate AC","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2015-02-18T20:00:36+00:00","dateModified":"2021-02-08T22:30:45+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/heat\/12-ways-to-help-your-home-survive-extreme-cold\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"12 Ways to Help Your Home Survive Extreme Cold"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/","name":"Interstate AC","description":"Nashville HVAC\/Heating Installation, Maintenance, and Repair","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#organization","name":"Interstate AC","url":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/interstate-ac.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/interstate-ac.png","width":341,"height":98,"caption":"Interstate AC"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Interstate-AC-368179083248282\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/InterstateACService"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e0f4bd6130808c6e41a2ae9121b3e869","name":"Erik Rostad","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/372df6764fa33c4ac136fa68e2b8c674?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/372df6764fa33c4ac136fa68e2b8c674?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Erik Rostad"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.eprcreations.com\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}