Winter in Portland comes with cold temperatures that will have you searching for ways to stay warm. Surefire ways to stay warm include scheduling regular furnace service and layering on clothes. You may hear of a lot of other ways to stay warm when the temperatures decline, but beware: a lot of these recommendations are actually myths and could end up making you feel colder!
Common Myths:
- Hot drinks will make you warmer: Sure, holding a toasty cup of coffee or hot chocolate can warm your hands and you’ll feel like you’re warming up as you gulp it down. But in reality, the warmth of the drink actually causes your brain to start cooling down your body.
- Alcoholic drinks will warm you up: Untrue. While alcoholic drinks will make your skin feel warmer, alcohol can cause your body’s core temperature to lower. Keeping your furnace well-maintained and functioning smoothly with regular furnace service is a much better way to stay warm.
- Hot showers heat you up: Sorry to say, the warmth you feel from a hot shower will vanish when you turn off the water. You’ll end up feeling colder as the water dries, which is why many of us struggle to get out of the shower.
- Wearing a hat will take care of your warming needs: You’ve probably heard this over and over, but all uncovered skin contributes to heat loss—not just that on your head. If you’re only covering your head and not other areas of exposed skin, you’re going to lose more body heat.
When you see all the misinformation about staying warm in winter, it’s pretty easy to see how crucial furnace service is to your comfort. While there are different ways to keep yourself warm besides furnace service, only a small number will have such a big effect on your daily comfort. To find out more about what furnace service can do for you in Portland, call Three Rivers Heating & Cooling at 503-213-4433 or set up an appointment online.