The Night The Furnace Went Out In Indiana
WARSAW — Yeah, I know … it happens. Especially when you live in Indiana where the weather can go from one extreme to the next in a single day – where it feels like you could have frostbite in the morning and heatstroke by afternoon. Especially during a week with weather conditions described as “polar vortex.”
Of course, we were aware that we would be experiencing a devastating cold front Tuesday, Jan. 29 through Thursday, Jan. 31, complete with extreme low temperatures, wind and precipitation, with temps well below freezing and wind chill levels at life-threatening lows.
Mail delivery was stopped, city offices were shut down, travel advisories were issued. Multiple businesses were closed Wednesday and Thursday, and warming shelters were set up.
Hubby and I weren’t too worried about our furnace since we had a new HVAC system installed only a year ago. We did have concerns about our pipes, so extra precautions were taken by adding additional insulation to indoor and outdoor pipes and providing extra wind barrier protection to outdoor pipes and faucets. We left water running and cupboard doors open to aid in preventing freezing pipes. We added Heet gasoline antifreeze to our vehicles, filled the tanks with gas and were feeling cautiously optimistic.
Tuesday came and went with no issues. Wednesday began well — both vehicles started, we made it to work, no trouble with freezing pipes. By Wednesday evening it was looking like we just might make it through the polar vortex with virtually no problems.
Ah, ignorance is bliss.
Hubby discovered that the battery in his truck was dead later that evening. After jump-starting the vehicle, we finally headed to bed. Shortly after midnight, I was awakened by my husband informing me that our thermostat, which had been set at 73 all week, was now showing an indoor reading of 63 — and our house was COLD.
We placed a call to the company we bought the HVAC system from and requested an emergency service visit. Kudos to the guys from Home Comfort Experts, who were on another service call in Fort Wayne, but arrived here at 2:30 a.m., within two hours of the time we initially called. By then our indoor temperature reading showed 59 degrees.
The HCE guys spent the next hour and a half determining the issue (a frozen flue) and then going up on our roof despite the freezing temps and howling winds, to fix the problem. I spent that time huddled up in the Comfy Original that I received as a Christmas gift. For those who aren’t familiar with the Comfy Original, it’s an oversized blanket sweatshirt — and they’re pretty awesome.
By 3:30 a.m. it was clear I wouldn’t be making it to the office by 8 a.m. I sent an email to my company letting them know what happened and advising that I’d be in later in the day once I got some sleep. We finally got to bed around 4:30 a.m., with the indoor temperature at a toasty 75 degrees, hopeful that our problems were behind us.
At about 9:30 a.m. we got up, tired but thankful for our working furnace and warm house. My goal was to make it to the office by 11 a.m. After discovering that his vehicle, which was parked behind mine, once again wouldn’t start, my husband bundled up and went outside to address that situation. I headed to the bathroom to get ready for work, looking forward to feeling more energized after a nice, hot shower.
“All we have to do is make it through today, then the temps go back up Friday,” I thought to myself, as I lathered my hair with shampoo — and that’s when the water stopped. Yep, you guessed it — frozen pipes.
As I stood there, soaking wet, with my hair covered in shampoo, three things went through my mind: 1) I’m not going to make it to the office by 11 a.m.; 2) why do I live where the air hurts my face; and 3) as soon as I win the lottery I’m moving someplace warm.
Later that day, after googling “What are my odds of winning the lottery?” and “cities with the best weather year-round,” I did some searches related to life in the Midwest.
I was reminded of the positives of living in Indiana (something that was much easier to acknowledge once we got the pipes thawed and the car started).
The Hoosier State, complete with running jokes about the weather, potholes, corn and the term “ope,” is also home to the most diehard basketball fans in the world, the Indy 500, beautiful fall foliage, giant breaded tenderloins and the world’s largest ball of paint.
It’s a place where laws such as No one may catch a fish with his bare hands, baths may not be taken between the months of October and March and It’s illegal to make a monkey smoke a cigarette (in South Bend) are still in existence, though not enforced; carbonated beverages are referred to as pop; everyone carries jumper cables; and festivals are named after food. It’s a place you can find farmers’ markets, white Christmases and small town living.
And while we experienced temps as low as -13 with wind up to 27 mph a few days ago, predicted highs this week will reach the low to mid-50s. The dead batteries, frozen pipes and nonfunctioning furnaces will be a distant memory. Of course, the warm temps may bring new weather-related problems as we deal with potential flooding from the melted snow.
And keep the jumper cables, shovels and winter coats within reach—- you’ll need them again soon enough.