# Keep your fingers crossed for me: Christmas without a furnace **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 25, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688 "2018-12-25T16:50:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/1 "2018-12-25T16:50:24Z")
The warranty company did manage to get a technician down here yesterday to diagnose my furnace, which, the news is, isn’t working. We need a part, some kind of motor. They can’t tell me when it will be available. Meanwhile it’s supposed to go below freezing tonight. We’ve got electric space heaters in the bedroom and bathrooms and are leaving our faucets dripping. It’s lucky we are actually home to deal with this. Our plan had been to visit my family but with my new job I didn’t have any leave accrued and had to stay home. Keep your fingers crossed for me, my friends, and raise a cup of your favorite hot drink to wish me swift relief from holiday troubles! I will be have an image of you in front of your toasty warm hearths to comfort my mind! ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/2 "2018-12-25T17:27:20Z")
Fingers crossed the part arrives now. Do you have electric blankets? A cat to sit on your lap? Drink hot beverages and cuddle. If it gets really cold, go to a hotel. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/3 "2018-12-25T17:41:04Z")
No cats (allergic!) no electric blankets. Will definitely find a hotel if needed. Just want this solved. I really hate the stress of homeownership. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/4 "2018-12-25T21:49:05Z")
I’m thinking warm thoughts. Remember these things kill people every year. Go to a hotel if it gets real bad. IDK, but seems like insurance should cover this. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/5 "2018-12-25T21:59:42Z")
My home warranty covers the repair, but I have to wait for the part. They authorized $50 to buy another space heater pending the repair ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/6 "2018-12-25T23:29:12Z")
Below freezing is certain to make the room temperatures miserable, but unless you’re talking in the neighborhood of 0F or below your pipes shouldn’t worry you too much. Hope it gets fixed soon! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/7 "2018-12-25T23:37:50Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Below freezing is certain to make the room temperatures miserable, but unless you’re talking in the neighborhood of 0F or below your pipes shouldn’t worry you too much. Hope it gets fixed soon! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/8 "2018-12-25T23:55:19Z")
Luck to you. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/9 "2018-12-25T23:56:23Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/10 "2018-12-26T01:34:08Z")
Oh best of luck to you. I hate being cold, I’d be in tears. I do hope this is solved quickly for you. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/11 "2018-12-26T01:36:36Z")
So far we are yet warm. Space heaters are efficient. The question is getting this repaired, while minding job and all, quickly and efficiently and without further damage. Merry Christmas to all! ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/12 "2018-12-26T01:56:44Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I’m thinking warm thoughts. Remember these things kill people every year. Go to a hotel if it gets real bad. IDK, but seems like insurance should cover this. Isn’t that more from people doing stupid stuff, like using their oven as a heater or running a space heater too close to drapes? Inside a house there’s no wind chill, & most people have enough clothes & blankets to stay warm enough to not freeze to death. Sure it might be uncomfortable, but not dangerously so. **Acsenray** , do you belong to a gym or can you get a free week membership to one? They have warm locker rooms & hot water for a shower. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/13 "2018-12-26T02:00:01Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > **Acsenray** , do you belong to a gym or can you get a free week membership to one? They have warm locker rooms & hot water for a shower. I do have a gym membership and we can shower there if needed, but so far our water heater still works so we have warm showers in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/14 "2018-12-26T02:28:38Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I do have a gym membership and we can shower there if needed, but so far our water heater still works so we have warm showers in the house. The gym gets you around those few freezeonious\* sucky minutes of undressedness\* on either side of the shower. \*is too a word ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/15 "2018-12-26T02:54:27Z")
Hot water bottles are awesome. If you have access to a 24-hour pharmacy you can probably purchase them any time of day or night, and if you have a stove to heat water, you’re good. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/16 "2018-12-26T05:12:31Z")
Sitting here in shorts and t-shirt, contemplating whether to maybe put the air-con on, watching the Test Cricket on the telly and munging down on bbq prawns and pavlova. Oh, wait, WRONG THREAD. 😃 Seriously though, I hope your furnace gets fixed sooner rather than later. I hate, hate, hate the cold, and the cold YOU guys get is a hundred times worse than the worst of the cold I’ve ever had to live through. Sending warming thoughts from downunder. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/17 "2018-12-26T07:04:48Z")
Best wishes - glad you made it through Christmas. One thing we do in cold winter nights is something called “Magic Bags”. They’re cloth bags that are filled with seed grain. You pop them in the micro for 2-3 minutes and the seeds get all warm. Then just put them under your covers at the foot of the bed, and they’ll keep your feet warm all night. Warm feet are a key to getting a good night’s sleep, even if the bedroom is cold. Oh, and also a kerchief for the missus and you in a cap, to keep your heads warm. 'Tis the season, after all. :). ETA: Amazon has Magic Bags. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/18 "2018-12-26T11:16:49Z")
Regarding your $50.00 budget (from the warranty company). One of [these](https://www.atwoods.com/department/home-outdoor-living/heat-air-fans/heaters-accessories/duraflame-inc-oil-filled-convection-heater-dfh-ch-11-t.html) with a small fan behind it will heat a few rooms very well. We use two of these to keep our hunting cabin (1200 sq ft) warm during the winter. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/19 "2018-12-26T17:58:40Z")
You have the perfect excuse to stay snug in bed with your partner and be deliciously lazy - or energetic! ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688/20 "2018-12-26T22:22:32Z")
Our furnace was out of commission for more than three weeks this past November (including over Thanksgiving). The first week was fine, but then we had a cold snap that sent overnight temperatures into the single digits here in New England. We used electric space heaters, and I got the gas fireplace working again (after not using it for 3-4 years). The coldest it got in the house was 56 degrees. Most days it warmed up to the 60s. It wasn’t too bad overall. By waiting it out, we were able to get the heat exchangers replaced under the extended warranty, as opposed to having to install (and pay for) a new replacement furnace. We ended up paying $1,700 (for the labor and miscellaneous other parts) instead of $6K for a new furnace. Good luck! 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keep-your-fingers-crossed-for-me-christmas-without-a-furnace/826688.md?page=2)