Winter is nearly here in Libertyville, and with it always comes chilly temperatures that may leave us bundling up with extra layers. Furnace service and added layers are usually dependable ways to keep warm on chilly days, but there are a host of other suggestions floating around out there that you could be utilizing that are really making you colder, not warmer.
Common Myths:
- Hot drinks will make you warmer: while the initial sensation of a hot drink can help you think that you’re warm, your brain will sense that it should start cooling off your body, triggering cooling mechanisms.
- Alcoholic drinks will warm you up: the reason we typically feel warm after a few cups of holiday cheer, it’s only your skin warming. Alcohol can actually decrease your core temperature, making you colder. A well-functioning furnace, thanks to having annual furnace service performed, is a safer bet.
- Hot showers heat you up: similar to hot drinks, the heat of your shower is only a fleeting feeling that goes away when the water is dried up and toweled off. That’s why opening the shower curtain is so difficult.
- Wearing only a hat will take care of your warming needs: while there are a number of sources that claim a great deal of body heat is lost by your head, it’s important to remember that any part of uncovered skin adds to heat loss. Therefore, while it seems like common sense, if you’re only wearing a hat and not a coat or gloves, you’re more likely to lose body heat more quickly.
So now that you have read about a handful of misconceptions 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 things you can do to stay warm this winter besides furnace service, but there may not be a ton that have such a large impact on your daily comfort. Give TopTec Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical a call at 847-362-0262 or set up an appointment online to hear more about what furnace service can do for you in Libertyville.