Winter in Des Moines comes with cold temperatures that will have you scrambling for ways to stay warm. Guaranteed ways to stay warm include scheduling regular furnace service and wearing toasty layers of clothes. You may hear of a lot of other ways to stay warm when the temperatures plummet, 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 warmness of the drink actually prompts your brain to start chilling 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 lower. Keeping your furnace well-maintained and running smoothly with annual furnace service is a much more dependable way to stay warm.
- Hot showers heat you up: Sadly, the warmth you feel from a hot shower will dissipate when you turn off the water. You’ll actually get 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 time and time again, but all exposed 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 misinformation about staying warm in winter, it’s simple to see how important furnace service is to your comfort. While there are other ways to keep yourself warm besides furnace service, not many will have such a big influence on your daily comfort. To learn more about what furnace service can do for you in Des Moines, call Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling at 515-207-6569 or make an appointment online.