Whether your heater stopped working and you're waiting on an HVAC repair professional to show up or you and your family just need a way to warm up a bit, here are a few ideas that will save on gas or electricity and keep you toasty warm in the process:
Get Busy in the Kitchen.
Wintery weather conditions make the perfect time to head to the kitchen and bake something. You can do this on your own, with the kids or as an entire family. The choice is yours. With the oven on, the kitchen is going to heat up, which means you are going to stay warmer as you're preparing your baking mixtures. While your goodies are in the oven, it makes for the perfect time to play a game of cards in the kitchen to make use of that heat.
So, you may not be able to go outside, sit around a campfire and make s'mores, but you can whip up your own batch of mouth-watering goodness in your kitchen. In fact, here's a recipe for indoor s'mores!
Get Your Body Moving.
Now that you've eaten some of your high-calorie sweet treats, it is time to burn some of those calories. For one, you don't want to gain weight. For two, exercise will help you warm up. Your body heat increases as your heart starts pumping and working harder. It helps to get the blood circulating through your veins. According to Livestrong.com, the more vigorous of a workout, the warmer you will be. Now, you don't necessarily have to pull out your exercise DVDs. Instead, you could play a game of tag with the children. If you don't have kids, you could clean house.
Let There Be Light.
Just as the sunlight can benefit your health, natural light can also benefit your home in terms of warmth. As soon as the sun rises enough to hit your windows, open the blinds so that the light and heat stream in. Not only will the space feel warmer, it will also look warmer. In order to get the most benefit from this method, make sure that your windows are clean. If they're dirty and dusty, they'll keep some of the heat out, limiting the positive effect of the sunlight. If your windows aren't clean, use some white vinegar to make them sparkle. Once the sun stops shining on those windows, make sure to close the blinds and shut your curtains to keep the cold out and the heat in.
Ultimately, your best bet of staying warm during the winter weather is to ensure your heating unit has been tuned and maintained. If you haven't had a check-up on your heater, it's time to call an HVAC professional like Always Ready Repair and schedule a tune-up.
Share1 December 2015
Does your air conditioner smell, make loads of extra noise, or fail to cool your home? If you have noticed any of these problems, there might be issues with your air conditioning unit. Fortunately, you don't have to let a bum system make your home stuffy and uncomfortable. Professional heating ventilation and air conditioning contractors can snap your AC unit into shape in no time. By carefully checking your condenser and evaluating your refrigerant levels, the experts might be able to dramatically improve the cooling capacity of your home unit. Read here to find out how to spot problems before they make your space uncomfortable.