6 Ways to Heat Your Home When the Power Is Out – HVAC Pros Reveal the Life-Saving Methods to Stave Off Cold if Disaster Strikes
January is prime boiler breakdown month, so it's wise to plan ahead for the worst
Cold weather in January is bad enough, but add an outage on top of it, and you only have so long before you are shivering in your own home. Boiler breakdowns are not uncommon either, peaking in January from prolonged usage and cold, adverse, and extreme winter weather for consecutive months.
As someone who's spent the last few days in a cold house because of exactly these issues, it's not just the heating being out to worry about. If a house is left unheated for too long, whatever the cause, it runs the risk of frozen pipes and mold growth.
Heating Your Home When the Power Is About More Than Comfort
Apart from the measures below, keep an eye on how the house itself is coping without heating.
Josh Mitchell, HVAC technician and founder of Air Conditioner Lab, says, 'When the heat is off, the biggest risk is not discomfort, it is frozen pipes. Water starts freezing once the surrounding air reaches 20°F, especially in basements, crawl spaces, outer walls, and under sinks.
'You can reduce the risk without spending much. Open cabinet doors to allow warmer room air to reach the pipes. Let faucets drip to keep water moving. Use towels or blankets to insulate exposed plumbing.'
Josh notes another thing people often miss is moisture. 'Cold homes build up condensation on windows and walls,' he says. 'Such moisture can turn into mold even during short outages. Use bathroom or kitchen exhaust fans for a few minutes a day and wipe visible condensation from glass and corners to stop it from soaking in.'
Just like keeping a home cool in a power outage, you have a far better chance of staying warm if you prepare it for a power cut ahead of time and get ahead of any disaster.
Here's how to cope:
1. Focus on Just One Room
Focus on keeping comfortable in one room, rather than your whole house.
Max Veggeberg, CEO and founder of Tetra, begins, ‘The safest and most efficient way to heat a home during a power outage is by focusing on retaining and generating warmth. Begin by moving to a well-insulated room with minimal windows, and closing interior doors to other rooms containing heat.’
Concentrating your efforts in a single room helps preserve warmth and reduces heat loss throughout the rest of the house. This approach is particularly important during winter power cuts, when indoor temperatures can drop quickly, especially overnight.
By keeping your household together in one contained space, you support health and safety during an outage, which is the most important priority in cold-weather emergencies.
This is especially true if you have not had the chance to prepare your home for a freeze (https://www.homesandgardens.com/solved/how-to-prepare-your-home-for-a-freeze).
2. Keep Internal Doors Closed
Keeping internal doors closed allows for body heat to be retained more easily.
When trying to heat your house when the furnace goes out in cold winter weather, closing all doors – including internal ones – can make a significant difference.
Isolating rooms and creating smaller, contained spaces helps retain heat more effectively, so your household can keep warm in bed, when the temperatures dip further.
A fleecy bedding set, available with fast Amazon Prime delivery, will help reduce heat loss through the mattress and retain heat between you and the sheet or duvet.
3. Block All Drafts to Stop Cold Air Getting In
Block drafts around windows, doors and outlets on external walls to reduce the chill.
Just as you would keep a poorly insulated home warm, your next step would be to draft-proof your home. Consider filling or plugging gaps around windows, under doors, and even insulating outlets on external walls.
Brandon Young, CEO at Payless Power says, 'The most important thing is to insulate your house. Weatherstrip or towel-seal the doors and windows shut off unused rooms, and huddle together in the warmest area.
'It's surprising how much of a difference this may make. Heavy drapes [with some curtain hacks for a warmer home], carpets, and quilts can do the trick.’
If you don't want to or are unable to have a washable draft stopper from Amazon, you can use old pillows, cushions, or thick throws to physically block the gaps. Padded coats are a good temporary blocker too, as they're built to trap hit and stop wind chill.
4. Use a Portable Generator
These are expensive up front but can be a life-saver in winter outages.
If you live in an area prone to power cuts or extreme weather such as arctic air blasts and extreme weather systems, it's definitely worth investing in a portable generator or home battery backup, particularly when preparing your home for a snowstorm.
Brandon Young says, ‘A couple of the best options include using a portable operating generator to power the best electric space heaters.
‘Just remember to safely set up the generator outside – not inside or within a garage – and use a space heater with certain key features, including tip-over protection. This will be great if you don't have to heat a large area in your home and already have a generator.’
The portable Kobalt 49 generator, available at Lowe's, can run on either gasoline, or liquid propane as it has a dual-fuel system. It'll run for around 9.5 hours.
5. Stock Up Your Stove
Stocking up on supplies to run non-electric or gas fires will help you access heating with the winter outage is ongoing.
Brandon Young continues, ‘If you have a wood burner stove, a pellet stove, or a gas fireplace, you are in good shape. Such nonelectric sources of heat will maintain temperatures in large areas, even at the time of an outage. Be aware that pellet stoves may require a battery backup to work – so better check now for an emergency.’
Knowing how to start a fire in a fireplace and the best ways to store firewood indoors will prevent your firewood getting damp, and ensure a clean burn.
Joel Worthington, president at Mr. Electric, a Neighborly company, warns, however, ‘Homeowners should ensure proper ventilation when using gas or wood-burning heat sources to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Always follow manufacturer recommendations when operating generators.
'Keep flammable materials away from heaters and never leave them unattended. Homeowners should ensure all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms (available at Lowe's) are in good working order.’
6. Consider Solar for the Longer Term
It isn't a solution for an immediate outage, but futureproofing your home and energy costs in the longer trem may see you considering solar power options.
It may not be a quick fix, but now is a good time to consider eco-home improvements, such as installing solar power panels. These systems can support both eco-heating and eco-cooling, which is especially valuable as extreme weather becomes more frequent during winter storms and heat waves.
Kristina Zagame, senior researcher in home electrification at EnergySage, advises, ‘If power goes out, a solar panel system with battery storage can keep your HVAC running.
'Extreme weather and major outages are becoming increasingly common across the U.S. When the power grid goes dark, the house with solar and storage will be the only one with its lights still on. It’s a solution that can save you from costly disruptions like losing heat, spoiled food, and property damage.’
FAQs
What is the most affordable way to heat a home without power?
While they have a high upfront cost, propane heaters can be particularly efficient at heating your home without power, as gas is relatively affordable to replace. Be aware, however, that you need to opt for an indoor-specific gas heater and ventilate the space to prevent irritating your airways.
Safe for indoor use, this battery-operated heater can heat up to 1000 square feet, has a low-oxygen safety shut-off system, and doesn't require outdoor venting.
Reduce heat loss from your body into the mattress with the fleecy bedding set Sleep Editor Ottilie Blackhall swears by. This is made from a hypoallergenic down alternative and is machine washable.'
This powerful and portable charger is light enough to use on the go, and outside of emergency home heating outages, can come in handy when camping or in the car (if it breaks down).
Perfect for outages, this outdoor home generator has dual fuel capacity, and can run for 9.5 hours on half power. It has safety features for auto-shutdown to protect the engine.
If you have a generator connected, you'll be able to use your outlets and therefore run electric heating until your HVAC system is fixed. This small but mighty heater is great for zone heating rooms with 12 timer settings and five heating modes.
Keeping a set of these thermal emergency blankets on hand will help keep the people in your household warm while you figure out fixes, utilities and alternative heating in case of an outage. Keep these with your first aid kit so you always know where they are.
Of course, it also helps to take personal measures to stay warm in freezing conditions. Wearing multiple thin layers on top of one another will help to trap your body heat in between the layers, acting like insulation, especially if you are able to wear natural materials such as wool and cashmere.
It can also ease the chill to leave your heating on overnight in freezing weather if you are concerned about potential power cuts. If you can thoroughly heat your home in the run-up to a cut, you are more likely to be able to keep it warm until the power comes back on.
