Cold weather in southern Alberta creating home heating problems

Roof vents are seen on top of a home in Lethbridge. (CTV News)

The current cold snap in southern Alberta has home heating systems working harder than they have all winter, causing some furnaces to break down.

Home heating companies have seen a rush of maintenance calls for broken-down units.

“Phone calls still keep coming in. There’s a lot of people out there that don’t have any heat. So those are obviously our primary phone calls, and then there’s a number of troubled furnaces that maybe have caused intermittent problems,” said Richard Altvater, owner of 4 Seasons Home Comfort.

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It’s a busy time of year for the Lethbridge fire department as well.

When temperatures drop, people may turn to unsafe methods of staying warm, causing fires.

“Home fires are a great risk. The risk becomes even higher during this time of year,” said Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services chief fire marshall Troy Hicks.

“When we do hit these cold snaps, people are just doing whatever they can. And sometimes we’re not thinking clearly. When we’re sitting there, we’re shivering and wearing gloves and tubes in our own home.”

The fire department is reminding residents of ways to reduce fire risk. Some tips include keeping a safe distance from space heaters, not putting anything combustible by a heat source and checking wires for frays.

“If something happens … they can always contact us here at the Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services, whether it’s a department or in the Fire Prevention Bureau; you can call 311 for the city. They will transfer you to us, and we can answer any questions you might have,” said Hicks.

Staying on top of the maintenance for your furnace or fireplace can help keep you out of dangerous situations.

Experts recommend getting your heating system checked before winter to make sure it’s running smoothly.

“Best time, as always, as we’re going into it in the fall. You know, even into early December, depending on how the temperature holds out, right? This year we’ve had a really mild December, so we were able to and still deal with a lot of these calls in December,” Altvater said.

Temperatures are expected to stay at or below -20 C for at least the next 10 days.