? Cold Weather HVAC Tips for Indianapolis Homes | Baptist Heating & Air
Home → Blog → Cold Weather HVAC Tips

It's Getting Cold Tonight — Here's What to Do

Winter prep · Comfort & safety

When the temperature is about to plunge — single-digit nights, wind chill below zero — your furnace is going to work harder than it has all year. A few minutes of preparation can prevent a cold night and a service call you don't need.

Before the Cold Snap Hits

  1. Change your filter if it's been more than a month. A dirty filter starves the furnace of airflow, which makes it run longer, work harder, and can trip the high-limit safety switch — leaving you with no heat in the middle of the night.
  2. Set your thermostat to a steady temperature. Don't crank it way up "to heat the house faster." It doesn't work that way — and on the coldest nights, big setpoint changes can cause auxiliary heat strips (heat pump owners) to run constantly and spike your electric bill.
  3. Check that all supply vents are open. Closing vents in unused rooms doesn't save money on a forced-air system — it raises duct pressure and reduces overall airflow. Keep them open.
  4. Make sure the area around the furnace is clear. No boxes, no laundry, no stored items within 3 feet. Combustion appliances need air, and stored materials can become a fire hazard.

If Your House Is Too Cold

When the house just won't warm up:

  • Check the thermostat batteries. A low-battery thermostat can stop calling for heat without giving you an obvious warning.
  • Confirm the furnace is actually running. Open the access panel — if the inducer motor isn't spinning and the burners aren't lit when the thermostat is calling for heat, there's a problem.
  • Look at your filter. If it's clogged, replace it before anything else.
  • Check the breaker. Furnaces need power for the blower and controls — a tripped breaker leaves them dead.
  • Verify the gas valve is open. Sometimes a valve gets bumped during work in the basement.
  • Heat pump owners — check defrost. If your outdoor unit is encased in ice, it's stuck in defrost mode or its defrost sensor has failed. Don't pour hot water on it — call us.

Protecting Your Pipes

Cold weather also threatens plumbing — not directly your HVAC's problem, but worth mentioning since we see it in homes we visit:

  • Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes
  • Let a slow drip run at the faucets farthest from your water heater (moving water freezes more slowly than still water)
  • If you have a basement or crawl space with exposed pipes, make sure any heat tape is plugged in and working

When to Call Us

If your heat is out and you've checked the basics — call. We're on call 24/7 for true emergencies. We'd rather come out at 2 AM than have you sleep in a freezing house.

Heat out right now? 317-782-1900 — we answer the phone. Honest diagnosis, no upselling.

🔥 No Heat Right Now?

We're on call 24/7. Don't wait until morning if the house is dropping fast.

317-782-1900

Quick Cold-Weather Checklist

  • Filter changed in the last month
  • Vents open in all rooms
  • Thermostat set steady (no big swings)
  • Thermostat batteries good
  • Area around furnace clear
  • Outdoor heat pump unit not iced over