Local heating company owner gives insight on winter heating issues

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) - Many people travel for the holidays. Before you leave, you may want to check your furnace and thermostat.

Common mistakes made by homeowners are keeping their thermostats too low and not keeping vents and gas meters clear of snow.

Lance Larson, owner of Absolute Comfort in Minot, said thermostats should be set at a minimum of 60 degrees when departing for the holidays.

He said some areas of a house can be colder than others, so keeping the 60-degree mark will alleviate a room temperature dropping below freezing.

“In the temperatures we have, in one day your house temperature could drop below freezing if your furnace quits running. We run into that all the time,” said Larson.

Larson said if something happens with your heating system, check if breakers have flipped and that thermostat batteries aren’t dead before calling your heating company.