How can I heat my house when the furnace goes out?

Author: Dr. Jaydon Green  |  Last update: Thursday, April 3, 2025

How to keep a house warm if the furnace is out?

How to heat a house without a furnace?

How do you keep your pipes from freezing when your furnace goes out?

How to keep warm when the furnace isn't working?

Put a heater in there running constantly to keep it warm. That's your main living space until your furnace is fixed. Fill it with blankets, pillows, block under any doors, cover vents. You're trying to make as little air transfer as possible outside the room.

Furnace Not Blowing Hot Air - Easy Fix

How do you warm up the house when furnace is broken?

How to survive winter without a furnace?

How long can a house go without heat before pipes freeze?

The rule of the thumb is that it takes roughly 6-hours for water in your pipe to freeze after left in an unheated area. Meaning if you lose power at your home and the weather is reaching below freezing point, you have approximately 6-hours until the pipes will begin to freeze.

How long can you go without a furnace?

Generally, a house will stay warm for 8–12 hours after losing heat. However, without intervention, it will eventually reach outdoor temperatures. If temperatures are frigid outside, maximize the warmth by gathering the family in a small room, wearing many thin layers, and placing towels around windows and doors.

Will my pipes freeze if my furnace isn't working?

Going without heat for even a few hours can cause your pipes to freeze if the outdoor temperatures are low enough.

How to heat your house for free?

What to do when the furnace goes out?

How cold is too cold for a house?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends setting your thermostat no lower than 64 degrees (F) in the Winter months while people are in the home. If there are infants or elderly individuals, they recommend keeping the temperature at 70 degrees at a minimum.

How do you heat a house in extreme cold?

How much is a new furnace?

Ask twenty professional HVAC contractors the question, “How Much Does A New Furnace Cost?” and you'll probably get the same answer... “It depends.” On average, the cost of a new furnace can range from $2,000 - $14,200¹. However, factors like furnace efficiency, type, size, and much more can impact this range.

Can it be too cold for furnace to keep up?

Your furnace can only maintain a differential between outdoor and indoor temperatures to a certain degree. During extremely cold weather, some furnaces might not be able to bring a home up to its desired temperature level.

How to keep warm when a furnace goes out?

How cold will a house get without heat?

How cold can a house get without heat overnight? The time of day your heater goes out impacts how long the house stays warm. Indoor temperatures go down faster at night, so if your furnace stops overnight, you can expect a quicker decline. This can be as much as 15 degrees Fahrenheit before morning.

What is the best temperature to leave an empty house?

In general, it's recommended to set your thermostat to 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This may seem high compared to the freezing point of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but it'll help keep the interior of the floor and wall cavities – where your plumbing is often located – safely above freezing temperatures.

Will pipes freeze if heat is off overnight?

Yes, pipes can freeze overnight if temperatures plummet drastically. Uninsulated pipes in unheated areas like attics or exterior walls are most vulnerable.

How to heat your home during a power outage?

How to tell if pipes are frozen?

A foul smell from the drain or faucet is a less-obvious warning sign. Odors are unable to filter out of the frozen pipe and instead are forced back into the home's faucet. No water or a slow trickle when a faucet is used. Whistling and banging coming from pipes, or strange bubbling sounds when you flush a toilet.

How can I heat my house with no heat?

Space heaters, either electric if you have power, or propane if the power is out. Just make sure you have proper ventilation when using the propane ones. Gas or wood fireplace, not many houses are equipped with these though, but if you have one, no better time to light it up than when the furnace breaks down.

Is there a solar powered heater?

Unlike traditional space heaters, many solar air heaters typically need to be mounted to a roof, wall, or window, in order to collect the sun's heat. Some of these collectors can be heavy and installation may require a building permit. The way they work is relatively simple.

How to keep pipes from freezing without heat?

Wrap your pipes in the colder areas of your home with insulation covers and insulate your water tanks especially in colder places. Use foam rubber or fiberglass sleeves to help decrease the chances of freezing.