STAYING COMFORTABLE, NOT COLD & DRY
We’re in the midst of a warm-up, but many winter symptoms are still upon us. If you and your home are struggling to stay comfy as winter winds up, Blue Ox Heating & Air has some comfort tips for you.
Reverse the Fan:
It may be counter-intuitive to run your ceiling fan at all, but running it clockwise at a low speed can pull cool air up! Believe it or not, this gentle updraft can save homeowners as much as 15% on heating bills every month. All you need to do to reverse the direction is find the switch on the side and set it to spin clockwise. Then, you can comfortably adjust your thermostat to a lower setting and save both money and energy.
Drink Water:
It seems that this is the advice for every ailment, but that’s because it works! Cold, dry winter air pulls moisture out of everything, including your own body. Dehydration is surprisingly common in the winter because of the way our bodies constrict blood flow to decrease heat loss. This constriction slows our thirst sensations, so even though our bodies need water, we don’t feel thirsty. Drink before you feel dry to keep your body as comfortable as possible.
Humidifiers:
We preach this all the time, but humid air feels warmer than dry air, so it’s important to keep your air moist. In winter, dry air is abundant in Minnesota. Keeping yourself comfortable in your own home is critical to surviving our long winters, and the key to this is settling on the perfect air temperature and humidity levels. With how cold and dry it has been lately, the ideal humidity in your home may even be as low as 20%, but even that will help.
Programmable Thermostat:
Having a programmable thermostat in your home can ease your mind, changing home temperature based on the time of day. With huge fluctuations in outdoor temperatures, daylight, and wind chills, it helps some people to know that their furnace is regulating itself. With a programmable thermostat, you can drop the temperature of your home when you’re at work, but have the house start warming up for you a couple of hours before you get home so it’s warm and comfortable for you when you get there.
—
Blue Ox Heating & Air is a full-service residential heating and air conditioning company that also specializes in air quality products and services. Blue Ox is fully licensed, bonded, and insured to provide our Minneapolis customers with services relating to furnaces, heating, and air conditioning. Our cumulative years of experience approach over 200 years of work in the HVAC industry. For more information on Blue Ox Heating & Air, visit our website at http://www.gobblueox.com/.
