This is an interesting question and one that our customers can sometimes ask. It makes sense when you think about it–a furnace is designed to heat the rest of your home, but there are no real air vents in your basement or crawlspace where the furnace actually is. Can it freeze up and get too cold to function?
Well, surprisingly, yes! A furnace can get too cold and freeze up, but thanks to some rough ingenuity by a professional like the ones on our team, you can avoid this problem entirely.
You see, there are several different things that a pro can do to ensure that the basement or crawlspace remains relatively warm, without having to install any new systems or high tech gadgets.
Keep reading to learn about this nifty duct service in Barron, WI, but make sure you give our team a call if you think your furnace is in danger of freezing up this winter.
One Quick Tip for Heating the Basement
Sometimes, on especially cold days, the basement where a furnace operates can get too cold. Since heat rises, all of the excess heat that might be a byproduct of the process will either go into the air ducts where it’s felt by your home, or drift towards the ceiling. The basement is the lowest part of a house, so it’s going to get pretty cold compared to the other places.
However, sometimes a professional technician can cut a small hole or gap into an existing air duct. This might sound like a stupid idea, but it’s actually quite brilliant.
The hole isn’t large enough for a lot of air to pass through, so almost all of the heated air created by the furnace will still go through your ducts and into your home’s rooms.
But some of the heat can escape into an area surrounding the furnace so it doesn’t freeze up on cold days. Cheap, efficient, and it works!
A Frozen Furnace Could Mean Poor Insulation
Another problem that could be causing your furnace to freeze up is the fact that your basement needs insulation. Again, it’s the coldest part of the house, and a broken window or drafty wall will mean that the room will get almost as cold as the outside.
Do a walk around your property to look at your basement and first floor. If you notice that it’s poorly insulated, then that might be a good place to start.
It’s Time to Call a Professional
If you’ve reached this point of the blog, then you’re likely anxious about the state of your furnace and whether or not it’s encountered a severe problem. The weather has been unpredictable this winter and it’s likely to continue getting worse for the foreseeable future. That means you can’t afford to take chances with a furnace that freezes up every once in a while.
So, how about you call a professional to have it looked at? We can perform a simple diagnosis where we just test the system, check all of the components, and tell you if anything is broken or functioning poorly. Then, with your permission, we’ll go ahead and fix it.
