keeping-warm 

In preparation for the harsh cold of winter yet to come, Warner Service has some more tips and tricks on how your family can stay warm without cranking up the heat or overtaxing your furnace to the point it needs service.

Here are a few of our favorite ways-outside of a roaring wood burning or gas fireplace-for homeowners to stay warm without touching the thermostat or scheduling a heating maintenance call:

Let there be light. Sunlight is a natural heat source. There may be less of it during the winter months, but homeowners should make the most of it by drawing the blinds and curtains on south-facing windows. On that note…

Make the room dark. At night, close the curtains to keep as much natural heat inside. It prevents drafts and heat loss. The thicker the curtains are, the better.

Seal it tight. If you feel a slight breeze through your home, you probably have a draft, which lets the cold air creep in. Homeowners can buy weather-stripping or insulation, or they can throw a blanket in front of the door or windows.

Wear a sweater. Putting on your coziest sweatpants and college sweatshirt is not only comfortable, but it will prevent you from cranking up the thermostat. Homeowners may want to throw on some fuzzy cabin socks, too. Snuggie, anyone?

Use an electric blanket. This may seem counterproductive, but Frederick and Hagerstown homeowners will actually save more because the heat isn’t coming from the furnace. It’s coming from an outlet, plus blankets are cozier than warm air.

Stick together. It sounds silly, but body heat is one of the best sources of warmth. Sit close around the dinner table, cuddle up during family movie night (with those electric blankets) and let your kids have sleepovers with each other. Your family can spend quality time together, and your heating bill won't suffer.

Workout. There’s a reason people sweat when they workout. It gets your circulation moving, making your body temperature rise. By dancing around the kitchen or doing yoga in the living room, homeowners can stay warm and fit.

Close the door. When someone isn’t occupying a room, close the door. If the door is shut, the natural heat can’t escape into unused rooms. Easy, right?

Put down a rug. Have you ever stepped out of the shower onto a cold bathroom floor? Or gotten out of bed only to step on a freezing floor? 10 percent of heat is lost through uninsulated floors, so put down a small rug to keep the floor warm.

Burn candles. Going back to the Stone Age, fire is a good source of heat. Though it won’t be a drastic change in temperature, lighting a candle can provide a little warmth, light and ambiance. Not to mention, it will smell delightful.

Cook like there’s no tomorrow. A hearty meal made on the stove can provide enough heat to warm up the kitchen. Homeowners should also prepare spicy dishes using cardamom, cayenne pepper, turmeric, cinnamon and ginger. These spices improve circulation and warm up the body. Warm tea or coffee does the trick, too.

Use hand and foot warmers. Who said these nifty inventions are made for only outside activities? If you want to save some money, put foot warmers in your socks and cup a hand warmer throughout the day. Homeowners can also try an electric or microwaveable heating pad.

Move your shelving. If homeowners move shelves above radiators or other heat sources, it can help channel warmth throughout the room. Don’t place any knick knacks on these shelves though. That’ll trap the warm air entirely, which will stop it from spreading to the room.

Adjust your ceiling fan. Set the speed to “slow” and the direction to “down” or “reverse.” This will help circulate the existing natural heat instead of blowing cool air.

And there you have it. If you would like to schedule a furnace service check-up before the spring, contact Warner Service today.

Contact Warner Service