Homes in Medicine Hat on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 - Photo by Bob Schneider

By Charles Lefebvre

Extreme cold continues in Alberta

Jan 14, 2020 | 5:09 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — For the second straight day, Albertans have cranked up their thermostats and bundled up in layers to head outside.

The extreme cold warning in all of Alberta remained in effect on Tuesday, and according to Environment Canada, the cold temperatures are expected to last well into the weekend.

It’s also kept heater and furnace repair companies in Medicine Hat, such as Starks Plumbing and Heating busy.

“Usually a day or two after the weather gets cold is when you start to see the calls come in,” said Dylan Hodgson, service manager at Starks Plumbing and Heating.

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Hodgson says the company has been fielding between an additional 10 to 15 calls per day for home heating.

“As of Sunday, the number of calls that have been coming in have really increased,” he said. “We have a number of technicians that have been out starting as early as 3:30 in the morning to address residential no heat issues.”

With home furnaces working overtime in the cold weather, there is a greater chance of them breaking down.

Hodgson says there are several things to look for to determine if your furnace isn’t working properly.

“(If there’s) water on the floor, if the heat’s not coming out of the registers, if the temperature at your thermostat isn’t getting to the point you’ve got it set to, those are all sort of indicators there might be something wrong,” he said.

Hodgson adds a portable heater can help heat your home while you’re waiting for it to be repaired.

But, the Medicine Hat Fire Department is reminding people that if they’re using a portable heater in their home, you need to be safe with it. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, heating equipment are the second-leading cause of house fires in North America

“It’s an electrical device,” said fire prevention officer Curtis Noble. “The cords need to be intact. Keep (the heater) three feet away from anything else, they do get hot enough to ignite ignitable things.”

It isn’t just your home or furnace you need to worry about during the extreme cold. If you have pets, they’re more susceptible to health problems from the cold, such as hypothermia and frostbite.

“We do tend to feel that because they’ve got hair or fur that they can regulate heat, or they’ll manage the cold, but they still can’t,” said Dr. Michelle Rowe, a veterinarian at Cypress View Veterinary Clinic. “Especially the older dogs, dogs with internal organ issues, diabetes, things like that, They have a much harder time regulating their heat.”

Rowe says just like humans, pets need to be bundled up before they head outside.

“If you go and stand outside for a few seconds and your face is cold, they’re going to be cold,” she said. “So better to keep them inside or protect their feet or put their jackets on them before they go out.”