People chuckle when I tell them that it’s cold here.  At first they are concerned … then they ask…

“Well, how cold is it?”

When I reply 40 degrees the sympathy I once received flies out the window.  That being said, this article is focused on the people in mild climates like Silicon Valley, people from other areas, try to keep the laughter down to a dull roar so we can talk about how cold we get here, yes we’re serious.

We (you and I) are legitimately cold at 50 degree (F) days and it is nearly unbearable at a 40 or a 30 degree day.  We are not prepared for cold days with our typical short sleeved clothes and light jackets. In fact, unless you go to a ski shop it can be hard to even buy a warm winter cost for those cold days here in Silicon Valley.

For those of us living in milder climates we know we are more sensitive to temperature changes than people from areas.  It’s times like this you really need a tempologist on your side.

A tempologist is a professional that works with temperature and in this case comfort temperature, technology and energy efficiency to choose the best solutions for you.

Those cold winter days are on their way back, I’m sure you remember them – winter is coming.

Photo courtesy of: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Luckily although we occasionally get freezing temperatures, they usually end up being for short periods of time usually at night.  So the good news is that the threat of freezing pipes is minimal, but the threat of discomfort when you have insufficient or ineffective heating, especially when you are trying to sleep – impossible. When I moved to Sunnyvale into a duplex my bed was near the window. My husband started wearing a hat to bed, I thought that was strange, but he is really sensitive to temperature changes.  Then I started to get cold, so cold that I had to rearrange the furniture to be more comfortable at night.

                                            Have you ever tried to sleep when it was really cold out?  Reply to this blog and tell me what you did to make it through the night.

That was before I knew about heating and air conditioning tips that can make life so much more comfortable. I spent some time with a Tempology company that really specialized in comfort.

Let me tell you what can be done to increase your comfort this winter.

Here are the items most households complain about in the winter:

• Cold Drafts
• Hot and Cold spots in my home
• Loud Furnace
• Doesn’t Stay Warm
• The Furnace is always Turning On and Off

Let’s tackle these issues so you can relax this winter.

The first thing you want to tackle is proper insulation. The homes here are built for the milder temperatures and the insulation in the homes here displays that milder climate.  Most homes here do not have the proper amount of insulation to code to keep the heat in the winter and out in the summer.  Get your insulation in your attic inspected so see the condition.

Once the insulation issue is tackled let’s take a look at your furnace.

                                    Every home should have a safety inspection/tune up before starting the winter season, even if there is no problem with the home heating up.

I speak from experience here. I once thought changing the filters regularly was enough.  Then my family was getting ill.  I had the furnace checked out and it had rust in it, the heat exchanger was pitted and had a hole in it.  That meant that carbon monoxide was coming into my home.  I immediately changed out my furnace and now I realize how uncomfortable I was before the change out.

What about the loud furnace?  A loud furnace can be a problem when it comes to comfort but more importantly it can be a sign of an issue.  So if your furnace is making noises it would be worthwhile to get it checked out before the cold weather hits and you start counting on it.

Interestingly enough the noisy furnace could also mean that the unit is oversized for the home and the ductwork.  Contrary to Tim Allen from the show Home Improvement  bigger is not always better.  An oversized furnace will cycle on and off more often and that means it will wear out faster, it will be louder because it will be pushing (or forcing) air through the ductwork and that will make it louder.  I myself didn’t realize my furnace was loud until I had it replaced.  I was using the remote’s volume on the TV every time the heat came on and off, but with a properly sized furnace I don’t have that issue anymore.

                                                For an even quieter furnace that will mix the air in the background at    about 50% of the electricity of a typical furnace fan get a furnace with a VSM, a variable speed motor.  You will not regret it.

If your furnace is inefficient and/or unreliable it is time to get an estimate for a replacement because there are so many other options to save on your energy bill both in natural gas and electrical BUT reliability is priceless.  The unreliable furnace usually suffers from Murphy’s syndrome that is Murphy’s Law; “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”. (Wikipedia).  Company coming over, Christmas, Thanksgiving, older people in the home, a new baby, etc. these are the times when it will give out.

Now is the time to start planning on your winter furnace survival; whether it is a safety tune up or new equipment quote and insulation check up.

Contact Cold Craft, Inc. the experts in home tempology.

Silicon Valley Heating repair

 

If you need help with temperature, contact Cold Craft, Inc.

408.374.7292 or [email protected]