FRIDAY. THAT IS COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. EXPERTS WARN. MEANWHILE, THE EXTREME COLD COULD HAVE YOUR FURNACE RUNNING AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE. >> THAT’S RIGHT, 12 NEWS IS IMANI FLEMING IS IN DELAFIELD WITH THE IMPORTANT REMINDERS AS WE ALL TRY TO STAY WARM. >> IT’S THE KIND OF THING YOU CAN’T ESCAPE. LIVING IN WISCONSIN, EXTREME COLD TEMPERATURES IN JANUARY. >> THIS ISN’T OUR FIRST RODEO. >> WITH HIGH TEMPS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE NEGATIVES THIS FRIDAY. EXPERTS SAY YOUR FURNACE IS PROBABLY WORKING OVERTIME, RUNNING 24 HOURS A DAY, WHICH ISN’T TYPICAL. >> IT’S VERY STRESSFUL ON THE FURNACE AS WELL AS THE HOMEOWNER. >> THIS WEEK, MARK AT KETTLE MORAINE HEATING AND AC, SAYS THE PHONES AT THEIR DELAFIELD HEADQUARTERS. >> GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING KETTLE MORAINE. HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING. >> HAVE BEEN RINGING OFF THE HOOK. >> WE’RE GETTING HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PHONE CALLS ALL TIMES OF THE DAY. >> HE SAYS. SOME HOMEOWNERS ARE JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THEIR FURNACES WILL WORK WHEN THEY NEED IT. >> MOST. HAVE THE MAINTENANCE DONE NOW WHILE THE FURNACE IS STILL WORKING. >> BUT THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO BEFORE PICKING UP. >> THE PHONE. >> LIKE CHECKING THE BATTERIES IN YOUR THERMOSTAT AND CLEARING OUT ANY PVC PIPES. >> THIS IS ON THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSE. THERE’S TYPICALLY TWO OF THEM. ONE THE AIR GOES IN AND THE OTHER ONE THE AIR GOES OUT. ALWAYS CHECK AND MAKE SURE THERE’S NO SNOW. THERE’S NOTHING INSIDE OF IT. IT’S NOT PLUGGED UP BECAUSE THAT HAPPENS QUITE A BIT IN WISCONSIN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WIND BLOWING SNOW IN THERE. AND THEN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, I THINK, IS TO JUST CHANGE THE FILTER, WHETHER IT’S A FULL SIZE FILTER OR A SMALL FILTER, IT’S IT’S INEXPENSIVE, IT’S GOOD PROTECTION. >> AND MARCELO SAYS IT’S UP TO YOU HOW HIGH YOUR THERMOSTAT IS SET, BUT YOU CAN KEEP THE HEAT IN BY KEEPING WINDOWS AND DOORS CLOSED. IN DELAFIELD, IMANI FLEMING, WISN 12 NEWS. >> AND IF YOU
Heating expert shares advice on keeping your furnace running
Some HVAC companies are getting an influx of calls about how best to warm their houses
As much of the country faces extreme cold temperatures this January, people are being advised to prepare their furnaces for the increased demand, with high temperatures expected to dip into the negatives this Friday.”This isn’t our first rodeo,” Mark Marchillo from Kettle Moraine Heating and Air Conditioning in Wisconsin said. He said furnaces are likely running 24 hours a day, which is not typical.”It’s very stressful on the furnace, as well as the homeowner,” Marchillo said. Marchillo reported that their phones have been ringing off the hook. “We’re getting hundreds and hundreds of phone calls, at all times of the day,” he said, as homeowners seek to ensure their furnaces will work when needed most. “Have the tune-ups done now, while the furnace is still working,” Marchillo said. Before calling for service, homeowners can take steps such as checking the batteries in their thermostats and clearing out any PVC pipes. “This is on the outside of your house. There’s typically two of them. One, the air goes in, the other one, the air goes out. Always check and make sure there’s no snow. There’s nothing inside of it. It’s not plugged up because that happens quite a bit in Wisconsin, especially with the wind blowing snow in there. And then the most important thing I think is to just change the filter, you know, whether it’s a full-size filter or a small filter, it’s inexpensive, it’s good protection,” Marchillo said. Marchillo also mentioned that while it’s up to homeowners how high they set their thermostats, they can keep the heat in by keeping windows and doors closed.
As much of the country faces extreme cold temperatures this January, people are being advised to prepare their furnaces for the increased demand, with high temperatures expected to dip into the negatives this Friday.
“This isn’t our first rodeo,” Mark Marchillo from Kettle Moraine Heating and Air Conditioning in Wisconsin said.
He said furnaces are likely running 24 hours a day, which is not typical.
“It’s very stressful on the furnace, as well as the homeowner,” Marchillo said.
Marchillo reported that their phones have been ringing off the hook.
“We’re getting hundreds and hundreds of phone calls, at all times of the day,” he said, as homeowners seek to ensure their furnaces will work when needed most.
“Have the tune-ups done now, while the furnace is still working,” Marchillo said.
Before calling for service, homeowners can take steps such as checking the batteries in their thermostats and clearing out any PVC pipes.
“This is on the outside of your house. There’s typically two of them. One, the air goes in, the other one, the air goes out. Always check and make sure there’s no snow. There’s nothing inside of it. It’s not plugged up because that happens quite a bit in Wisconsin, especially with the wind blowing snow in there. And then the most important thing I think is to just change the filter, you know, whether it’s a full-size filter or a small filter, it’s inexpensive, it’s good protection,” Marchillo said.
Marchillo also mentioned that while it’s up to homeowners how high they set their thermostats, they can keep the heat in by keeping windows and doors closed.
