Sub-Zero Temperatures Wreaking Havoc On Furnaces

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The sub-zero temperatures kept many people inside on Wednesday.

But it was not a comfortable day for everyone, especially if they had issues with their furnace.

Three things happened when the temperatures drop this low. First, car batteries die. AAA had 2,700 calls by noon on Wednesday for service across their area. Second, pipes burst. Good luck getting a plumber right now.

The third thing?

Furnaces die.

The steam coming off our rooftops vaporizing in the vortex air are small signs of assurances of warmth inside. But there hasn't been a lot of that at the Allen's home in Churchill.

"Upstairs it's cold," said Mike Allen. "You just have to throw just enough covers on at nighttime just to stay warm."

That furnace plight is common right now.

"I just left the office a little bit ago," said Rocco Florio of Air Pro Heating and Cooling. "Phones are ringing off the hook."

Many of those calls are coming from people with no heat.

"It's a crisis situation right now," Florio said.

People are pretty desperate when temps could go down to minus-6 overnight.

The Pro Air crew was working quickly to get the heat back into the Allen's home. As soon as they do it, they will be on to another job.

The arctic air brings out the vulnerabilities in aging furnaces.

"Well when you got a wind chill of 35 below and (the furnace) is running for eight hours, the metal fatigue is occurring the heat exchangers and stuff," Florio said.

Florio says his five crews alone will probably replace 20-30 furnaces this week.

Florio recommends making sure you air filter is clear and to set the thermostat and let it be.

"I keep mine a couple degrees warmer when it's this cold," he said.