Winter is almost here in Greater Richmond, and with it always comes frigid temperatures that could leave us bundling up with more layers. Furnace service and added layers are usually surefire ways to keep warm on chilly days, but there are a variety of other pointers floating around out there that you might be trying that are actually making you colder, not warmer.
Common Myths:
- Hot drinks will make you warmer: while the initial sensation of a hot drink can help you believe that you’re warm, your brain may sense that it should start cooling off your body, causing cooling mechanisms.
- Alcoholic drinks will warm you up: the reason we typically feel warm after a few drinks, it’s merely your skin warming. Alcohol can actually lower your core temperature, making you colder. An efficient furnace, thanks to having annual furnace service performed, is a better bet.
- Hot showers heat you up: as it is with hot drinks, the heat of your shower is merely a fleeting feeling that disappears when the water is dried up and toweled off. That’s why opening the shower curtain is so difficult.
- Wearing only a hat will handle your warming needs: while there are a number of sources that claim a great deal of body heat is lost through your head, it’s crucial to remember that any part of exposed skin increases heat loss. Therefore, while it seems like common sense, if you’re only utilizing a hat and not a coat or gloves, it’s more likely that lose body heat more quickly.
So now that you have learned about a handful of misunderstandings surrounding staying warm this winter, it’s not tough to realize the importance of something as easy as furnace service. Of course there are other ways to stay warm this winter besides furnace service, but there may not be many that have such a great impression on your everyday comfort. Give Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling a call at 804-302-6657 or schedule an appointment online to hear more about what furnace service can do for you in Greater Richmond.