Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Staying Warm

Our furnace blower went out sometime last night and we are cold. Wouldn't you know this would happen while my husband is home following surgery and on disability pay? We've called around but thus far have nobody to help us get it going again.

This incident has me thinking about ways to keep warm safely. Right now it is well below freezing outside but the sun shines now and then. That helps to warm the rooms with windows. Josh and Evan share a bedroom with electric heating. If they keep their door open it will help to warm the family room. Add the fact that there is a heat lamp over Rosie's pen (iguana), it isn't too bad in there.

We have a small electric space heater that we're using to warm the living room, kitchen and dining room. I could bake something in the oven and that would warm it up too. That only leaves the bedrooms and bathrooms down the hall. I guess there isn't much we can do there.

Ways NOT to heat the house safely are:

Do not turn on burners on the stove (gas operated here) and let burn without boiling water or something over the burners. Even then, don't run them all day. Turn them on and off throughout the day (still cooking something over them) if you feel you need the extra heat. There's something about the gas using up oxygen and placing harmful stuff into the air you're breathing when inside a house.

Don't leave space heaters on and running if you have to leave. They could catch fire easily.

The same runs true for kerosene heaters, which I really don't like because of the smell of the kerosene. Be cautious if you have children and animals around them.

Hopefully our furnace will be running by tonight.

1 comment:

na said...

Hopefully you get it fixed soon! I have an award for you at crafting!