Things You Do to Stay Warm that Actually Make You Colder in Odessa

November 18, 2015

Winter in Odessa is known for 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’ve probably heard of a lot of other ways to stay warm when the temperatures decline, but beware: many of these ideas 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 drink it. But in fact, the heat of the drink actually causes your brain to start chilling your body.
  • Alcoholic drinks will warm you up: Untrue. While alcoholic drinks will make your skin feel warmer, alcohol has the ability to cause your body’s core temperature to decline. Keeping your furnace well-maintained and operating smoothly with annual furnace service is a much more reliable way to stay warm.
  • Hot showers heat you up: Unfortunately, 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 up, which is why it’s so hard 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 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 misleading information about staying warm in winter, it’s pretty easy to see how crucial furnace service is to your comfort. While there are more ways to keep yourself warm besides furnace service, only a small number will have such a big influence on your daily comfort. To learn more about what furnace service can do for you in Odessa, call Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning at 432-237-0168 or set up an appointment online.