We all know that Northern Georgia can have surprisingly cold weather, as this week’s forecast so kindly reminds us. As the mercury drops into the teens this week, it’s important for your family to be prepared for the cold. Here are four tips for staying warm:
- Make sure that you have emergency supplies in your car. It only takes one mention of last year’s epic ice storm to conjure up images of stranded drivers and general chaos in the Atlanta area. Make sure that you always have water, food, and blankets in your car in case of emergency.
- If you use space heaters, make sure that you turn them off before bed. If you need a heat boost, space heaters can work, but keep them away from draperies and kids, and always turn them off before bed.
- Don’t use your oven or stove to heat your house, and certainly don’t use outdoor space heaters or grills inside. All of these pose a carbon monoxide poisoning risk.
- Put on some extra clothes. You may be surprised by how much warmer an undershirt and an extra sweater can make you feel. When you leave the house, make sure you take a hat and gloves with your coat, just in case.
- Stay on top of furnace concerns. If your furnace has been making funny sounds, or hasn’t been keeping you quite warm enough, make sure that you call for service as soon as possible. Cold weather and the resulting extra strain placed on your furnace could turn that minor problem into a major breakdown, leaving you in the cold.
If you’ve been diligent in scheduling routine maintenance, your furnace or heat pump should get you through even very cold weather. But if you do have problems, our professional heating technicians at Gagne are available with emergency repairs in Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Marietta and the surrounding metro-Atlanta area. And remember, the easiest way to stay warm is to turn up the heat!