Things You Do to Stay Warm that Actually Make You Colder in Columbus

November 18, 2015

Winter is nearly here in Columbus, and with it always comes frigid temperatures that could leave us bundling up with additional layers. Furnace service and added layers are normally surefire ways to keep warm on chilly days, but there are a number of other suggestions floating around out there that you may be trying that are actually making you colder, not warmer.

Common Myths:

  • Hot drinks will make you warmer: while the primary sensation of a hot drink can help you think that you’re warm, your brain will sense that it needs to start cooling off your body, generating cooling mechanisms.
  • Alcoholic drinks will warm you up: the reason we normally feel warm after a few cups of holiday cheer, it’s merely your skin warming. Alcohol can actually lower 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 quick feeling that fades when the water is dried up and toweled off. That’s why it’s so hard to open the shower curtain.
  • Wearing only a hat will cover 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 uncovered skin increases heat loss. Therefore, while it seems obvious, if you’re only wearing a hat and not a coat or gloves, you’re more likely to lose body heat faster.

So now that you have learned about a couple misunderstandings surrounding staying warm this winter, it’s not hard to recognize the importance of something as basic 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 lot that have such a great impression on your daily comfort. Give Wolfe & Sons Heating and Cooling a call at 614-451-0846 or schedule an appointment online to learn more about what furnace service can do for you in Columbus.