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Staying safe and saving cash as cold front leads many to switch from AC to heat

Posted at 9:00 PM, Nov 02, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-03 00:28:18-04

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — JC Pauli, manager at Bob's Repair, knows all things HVAC and warned summer heat friendly Las Vegans that switching from AC to their seldom used furnace can cause a lot of problems if they're not careful.

"There's a big flue pipe that goes all the way through your roof," Pauli said. "Sometimes leaves can get caught in there. Gas, plus heat, plus a clogged pipe, equals bad news."

That could mean fires or deadly carbon monoxide leaking into a home.

"Go down to your local CVS, Walgreens, get a Carbon Monoxide detector," Pauli said.

Even if you do everything necessary to stay safe physically, Financial Analyst Steven Budin said local wallets are going to hurt over the winter months.

"Just when you think it couldn't be any worse, the winter is coming," Budin said.

He said Russia's war in Eastern Europe has choked natural gas supplies globally, and gas fuels most of Las Vegas's heating.

"The holiday season is going to be challenging," Budin said. "Let's hope that the supplies open up sooner or later, but I would plan for the worst and hope for the best."

Pauli said people can save money by, first, adequately insulating their attic spaces.

"The cheapest, most efficient way to decrease your energy bill is that," he said.

Second, people should make sure all ducts are properly sealed, and then, most simply, change their air filters.

"If you've got a clogged filter, your AC works way harder than it has to so you run into a lot of problems in that area," Pauli said.

He said if anyone has major concerns when firing up the heat, it's always better to be safe than sorry and call a professional for help.