Heat Your Cincinnati Home Through a Power Outage

While winter has been fairly mild so far, the potential for winter storms still exists, as well as power outages. If a winter power outage takes out your ability to use your furnace or heating system, how will you keep your Cincinnati home warm?

Step 1: Retain heat

When a winter power outage occurs, it’s important to keep the heat you have inside the home. By retaining existing heat, your home will stay warmer for longer.

• Keep all windows and exterior doors closed tightly. Only go in and out of the home as needed, and if you must exit, try to use an exterior door that is protected, such as exiting through the garage or sun porch to prevent as much heat loss as possible.
• Close curtains over windows where the sun isn’t shining in to prevent heat loss via the cold glass panes.
• Prevent drafts by rolling towels or blankets, and placing them at the bases of exterior doors.
• Keep more heat in your main living areas by closing off interior doors to unused rooms.

Step 2: Safely heat the home

If the temperatures in your home are dropping and you must add heat, be sure to take safety measures when doing so.

• If your home is equipped with a wood stove, keep a fire going. If wood supplies are dwindling, light fires at regular intervals, and let the indoor temperature drop as much as you can bear between fires.
• If you are using a portable gas heater, it must be vented properly to the outdoors! Keep children and pets away from the portable heater to prevent knocking it over. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby. Shut down the heater before you go to bed; never use a portable gas heater unattended.

While a power outage is an issue to take up with your utility provider, Nelson Comfort can help you if you face an emergency furnace breakdown this winter. Contact us anytime and we will dispatch a technician to provide emergency heating repairs.

About The Author

Dan Detmer

Dan Detmer is the owner of Nelson Comfort. Dan was born into the heating and cooling industry, coming from a family of well respected HVAC contractors in Dayton, Ohio. After working in the family business, Dan decided to work for a local HVAC wholesale business helping local contractors grow their business. When he felt his heart moving him back into the residential and light commercial business, Dan joined the Mortimer Heating & Cooling team in Cincinnati, where he had called home and become part of the community for several years. After a short period of time Dan purchased the company and created what is today, Nelson Comfort. Today he operates a company based on integrity, honesty, and stellar customer service. If you have any questions feel free to tweet (at sign) NelsonComfort and we will get right back with you!