Preparing for Heat & Power Loss in the Winter

Power outages can be troublesome in the middle of winter when many of us rely on electricity for heat. Blizzards and ice storms are two of the culprits that can keep people from staying warm. In this post, your home heating repair expert Stone Heating and Air presents some clever techniques for conserving warmth and gaining emergency heat.

Keep Drafts Out

The first step to staying warm is to trap the heat already in your home by blocking drafts. Place rolled-up towels at the base of exterior doors and hang blankets over them. Open the curtains on south-facing windows during the day if it’s sunny to let in a little heat. Otherwise, keep the curtains closed to reduce heat loss through the windows.

Keep the Whole Family in One Room Only

If a power outage is lengthy, keep all your activities in the largest room in the house–most often the living room. HVAC maintenance companies suggest putting up a tent inside, if you have one. This will protect you from the cold air just as it does when you’re camping, and will also make it easier to capture and share body heat.

Safely Use a Portable Backup Generator

Never run a portable backup generator in the house or any other enclosed area therein. Instead, position it outside with its exhaust directed away from your home. Plug the generator into your home’s wiring only through a transfer switch–never an outlet. Doing so would put yourself at risk and could injure or even kill power utility line workers.

Use Your Fireplace

Using a wood or gas fireplace is an obvious way to warm up a room when the heat is out, so be sure to ask your contractor for chimney and duct cleaning before it’s too late. Gas fireplaces will continue to work even without electricity. For wood fireplaces, make sure you have enough wood to carry you through an emergency. Conserve wood by allowing the room to cool a little between fires. Keep flammable items well away from the fireplace.

Consult Stone Heating and Air for your gas furnace maintenance and repairs. Give us a call at (541) 855-5521 or fill out our contact form for a consultation.

Category:

Request An Appointment

Please subscribe me to the newsletter
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

We had our AC go out on one of the hottest days of the year. We called as soon as they opened and they came out so quickly and offered us some loaner units to keep our babies and animals cool in the meantime. Matt was so helpful and fixed the problem quickly. He went above and beyond to help us and we will be using Stone Heating and Air to replace our unit when it’s time. They’ll be our first call in the future!

Elizabeth T.

Matt's response was extremely quick, he was very professional and friendly. He explained everything in detail and was very knowledgeable. He had my unit up and running within no time! I highly recommend calling stone heating and air. I will be signing up for the yearly service plan with them!!

Tim S.

I had a wonderful experience to hangout with this superior crewmen who came to install a new HVAC system at my house. To see these professional guys were at work with their best, I would recommend to anyone to do business with this wonderful company! Best regards

Bryan H.

I’ve used Stone Heat and Air for several projects and every time they have preformed beyond my expectations. I would highly recommend them for any of your HVAC needs.

Matthew V.S.

Excellent Service I could not have been more happy with the service, quality and honesty that I received from Stone Heating and Air. I will refer this HVAC company to all of my friends.

Gene S

Great Service, knowledgeable service technician This was for our guest house heater. I was very happy with the service provided. They were on time, polite and clean. They inspected the Monitor heater and then proceeded to clean it and they were able to fix that. Will definitely use for jobs in the future

Amanda S

Maintenance Great service, and great price

Mike J.

Great Company Dave was fantastic. He is very knowledgeable about the system and his cleaning job was incredible. He was able to explain everything that he was doing and make it make sense for general homeowner. Good Job guys!

Brian F

Excellent service! Excellent service! Knowledgeable staff! I was very impressed with the responsiveness and knowledge of your team. Shortly after 1 called for an appointment, Dave and Gino did a thorough inspection of my system and explained all of the areas that needed repair or replacement. They gave me short and long-term options and the benefits of both. HVAC is not something I know a lot about so I had appreciated their patience. Overall, it was a great experience! 5 STARS!! Highly recommend Stone Heating and Air!

John L

Related Content

Your HVAC Serviced for Spring

The Best Time to Get Your HVAC Serviced for Spring

By Stone Heating & Air | April 7, 2025
As winter fades and signs of spring begin to blossom, many homeowners shift their focus from heating to cooling. One of the most important tasks you can do to prepare...
thermostat

Will Changing the Thermostat Often Make My Utility Bills Go Up?

By Stone Heating & Air | March 24, 2025
As energy costs continue to fluctuate, homeowners are always looking for ways to optimize their HVAC system and lower their utility bills. A common question that arises is whether changing...
How Do You Know It’s Time to Get a New Furnace

How Do You Know It’s Time to Get a New Furnace?

By Stone Heating & Air | March 12, 2025
A reliable furnace is essential for maintaining comfort in your home, especially during the colder months. However, like any mechanical system, furnaces do not last forever. Knowing when it's time...