Baby it's cold outside

by Alex Nielsen of U S Air Conditioning and Heating Inc. ( 7-Feb-2011 )

       You ain't just whistling dixie. This winter is starting out as the coldest in the last few years. As cold as it has been I can't help but to reflect back on the not to distsnt past, when we had our first gas pump shock. Do the rest of you old timers remember the gas lines of 1973 and the outrageous price of a gallon of gas I think it was about 90cents.                              

      Almost everyone was outraged and we all were going to do something about it. A good many folks bought kerosene heaters as a way to combat raising fuel prices. The heaters did a great job as long as the temperature stayed above 20 degrees with no wind. Most people using these heaters for the first time keep thier thermostats down to about 55 degrees. That was a great way to save on fuel, howerever when the temperature dropped and the wind kicked up, many homeowners were disappointed [to say the least] to find some of thier pipes had frozen and they were stuck with a large plumbing bill.

We all like to save money and we surly don't want to have to call a plumber in the middle of the night. If you are using a fireplace or some kind of space heater keep your thermostat set above 64 degrees. Your boiler will not turn on unless the temperature drops below the set temperature. This should prevent your pipes from freezing.

I wish you all a safe and "Happy New Year"

Alex Nielsen

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