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Cold weather is one thing, but freezing weather something entirely different. When temperatures get to freezing levels or below outside, it can lead to some disastrous situations if you're not prepared. It pays to be prudent when dealing with extremely cold weather, and precautions should be taken whether you're inside or outside. Here are a few safety tips for staying safe in freezing weather. Be Prepared When Going Outside If you're simply running outside to take out the trash, then you don't have to take very many precautions. However, when going outside during freezing weather, even for short periods, you still need to dress warmly. More importantly, make sure you have proper footwear for snowy and icy conditions. The wrong footwear can lead to a slip and fall. Bring in Your Pets! While many dogs and cats are equipped to handle very cold and freezing temperatures, they still need a place that's warm and dry where they can rest and sleep. On extremely cold days, it's a good idea to keep your pets indoors until temperatures rise above freezing. Provide dogs and other animals with shelter, such as a dog house, barn, or shed that will protect them from rain and snow. When animals get wet, they have a much greater chance of dying from exposure to cold temperatures. Drive Safe! Whether you're planning on a trip around the corner to the store, or a road trip to the next town, it's crucial that you plan for emergencies when temperatures are freezing or below. Always make sure your vehicle is in good working order before you start your trip. It's also smart to bring along a few extra blankets in case of an accident or breakdown. Even if your vehicle has a heater, you still need to wear proper winter attire such as coats, gloves, boots, and stocking caps in case you have to be outdoors during an emergency.

If your heating system isn’t keeping your home as warm and comfortable as it used to, it may be time for a new HVAC system. Since the New Year is right around the corner, one of your resolutions can be to replace that old, worn-out furnace with a newer, high-efficiency model. Here are a few red flags that indicate you may need to replace your heating system. Your System is Over 15 Years Old Your heating and cooling system was designed to last for 16 to 20 years. If you have maintained your system pretty regularly your system may have a few more years in it provided you’re not having any issues with it. If you notice that your system needs frequent repairs, makes loud noises, or fails to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the house, then you should think about replacing it. Your Heating Bills Keep Increasing Another sign that your HVAC system needs replacing is higher heating bills. If you keep your thermostat set at a consistent temperature, but the bills keep increasing, your system is not operating efficiently. Even if your furnace is not that old if it is not running efficiently, it costs you more to keep it than to replace it with a new one. Loud Noises Coming from the Furnace Most furnaces make noise in some way but if you are experiencing loud banging noises, popping sounds, or squealing when the system turns on your furnace is telling you it’s on its last legs and you should consider replacing it soon. If it makes a loud banging noise when starting up, it could be caused by a gas buildup creating a “delayed ignition” which is a serious problem. It’s important to pay attention to noises that are louder than normal because they indicate a problem within the system that needs attention.

In the winter the last thing you want is to blow cold air when it is bitter cold outside. This is a dilemma that needs to be resolved as soon as possible. There are a few common explanations for this type of occurrence. A trained professional can pinpoint the exact cause of this issue. Below are some possible reasons for this occurrence. The Furnace May Be Overheated Your unit may start off blowing hot air, it turns cold, and suddenly no air is blowing out. This scenario may be an indication of an overheated furnace. A safety switch on the unit can turn the burners off. This is known as a limit switch. Once this switch is turned, it continues blowing to bring the unit to a safer level. One common reason for overheating is an old and dirty filter. If your unit appears to be overheating, never ignore it. Continued overheating will cause many preventable problems. Ignoring this problem will only lead to more costly problems. Check The Pilot Light Another cause for cold air blowing out from your unit might be the pilot light. The light might have gone out. The flame may have gone out. You may need to relight the pilot light. Not everyone is comfortable relighting pilot lights as it can sometimes be difficult. A trained technician can check the unit and relight the flame or find a solution. A Problem With The Thermostat Cold air blowing from your unit may result from a problem with the thermostat. It may need to be replaced, or the setting may have issues connecting to the unit. If the unit is constantly running, or intermittently blowing cold air, it is time to call a professional for the job.

Preparing for The Winter in the Windy City Residents of the Windy City know that it doesn’t take long for the temperatures to drop. People who live in the Chicago area and even those who are just visiting need to make sure they are prepared for the cold weather that is about to roll in. You know you need things like jackets, but your heating unit also needs to be ready for the cooler weather.   Record Cold Temperatures In Chicago Chicago is known to have one of the longest records of cold temperatures of all the states in America and this year probably won't be any different. You can be sure that it is going to get to be cold in Chicago and that means it will be cold enough to get hypothermia and other cold-related symptoms due to freezing weather that can occur in Chicago. These cold temperatures mean that you need to do your part to make sure that you are not going to get stuck in the winter weather without any way of keeping yourself warm through the winter months. Stay Warm All Winter Long In Chicago There are some very basic things that you can do to stay warm all winter long. Some of these are simple such as ensuring that you have a winter wardrobe ready to bundle up in on cold days. It is no fun being late to work because you can’t find your warm jacket! Outside of insulating your body to stay warm, you should not overlook the importance of making sure that your home is going to be able to stay warm all winter long. One of the most important things you can do is to make sure that your heating unit is working as it's intended to do to make sure that you and your entire family are going to stay warm throughout those freezing winter months.

Having an HVAC system should be great. It’s supposed to provide your family with comfortable temperatures conveniently. We aren’t at the mercy of the environment thanks to these marvels. However, when using these aren’t as convenient as before, what does that mean? We have to remember that they have an expiration date on them. No matter how good the manufacturer, or how well-known the brand, this is inevitable. The time will come when you’ll have to replace your HVAC unit, but which of those signs should we look out for? A Rise In Bills Naturally, consumers would prefer equipment that doesn’t have a big appetite for energy and gas. To make their products more competitive, they would design these to be as efficient as possible. After having them installed, you might have noticed how easily they met a certain temperature without consuming much. So be alarmed if you’ve noticed your bills have unusually increased. Your hardware might be telling you a story you don’t necessarily want to hear. Their components might be too worn out to be able to be as productive as before. Now they need more resources to produce the same amount of work they could have done for less in the past. Of course, if your unit isn’t that old, then a repair might do. Too Old After having read the last line, you may think: how old is too old then? That depends if you’ve been good to your system, meaning you had the essential routine cleaning and maintenance done. If you were, then you could be looking at 10 to 15 years. This would be appropriate to start considering new equipment. However, these won’t even reach a decade if they were frequently used with hardly any washing and upkeep done. Now would be a good time to start recalling what you’ve been doing to your hardware.

Nowadays working at home is becoming a trend and there’s no wonder why it’s popular, because who wouldn’t love to do their jobs in the comfort of their own houses? This is a dream come true for most. Imagine not having to endure that long and tiring commute to work and being able to wear anything you want. There’s no need to look formal here so feel free to sport your pajamas or get comfy in your baggiest shirt. There are concerns about the effects these may make to the energy bills of your residence. Unknown to many, it may be possible to avoid this from happening, and you may be even able to cut down on your power consumption. This all depends on how you manage your appliances, gadgets, and the different features of your house. Open Blinds/Curtains Sometimes we can go about our day, oblivious to our surroundings. There are tendencies where we forget about our windows where we instead switch on our lights. These may not seem like much since they don’t consume as much energy in contrast to other larger machines found in a household, but if you use them frequently, the costs it would accumulate may cause it to become a huge factor of what comprises your bill. Always make it a habit of opening your blinds or curtains every morning right when you wake up. This is the natural light that comes for free, so make as much use of it as possible. If your office is situated in an area which does not have a window or at least one that is big enough, transfer to a room with one (or more).