Winter in the Bay Area comes with cold temperatures that will have you scrambling for ways to stay warm. Dependable ways to stay warm include scheduling regular furnace service and wearing toasty layers of clothes. You’ll hear a lot of other ways to stay warm when the temperatures decline, but beware: many 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 actually, the warmth of the drink actually prompts your brain to start cooling off your body.
- Alcoholic drinks will warm you up: False. While alcoholic drinks will make your skin feel warmer, alcohol can cause your body’s core temperature to drop. Keeping your furnace well-maintained and functioning smoothly with regular furnace service is a much more reliable way to stay warm.
- Hot showers heat you up: Sadly, the warmth you feel from a hot shower will vanish once you turn off the water. You’ll actually get colder as the water dries up, 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 many times, but all bare skin adds 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 false information about staying warm in winter, it’s simple to see how imperative furnace service is to your comfort. While there are other ways to keep yourself warm besides furnace service, only a small number will have such a big impression on your daily comfort. To discover more about what furnace service can do for you in the Bay Area, call Contra Costa Heating & AC at 510-343-9841 or schedule an appointment online.