Philadelphia Weather Change and Your Health

If you live in the greater Philadelphia area, you must have noticed the bi-polar weather we've been having. One day it's 80 degrees and the next it's hitting as low as the high 40's. It seems as though this is also the time of year everyone is getting sick… are these two facts related?

There is a myth that you can catch a cold simply from the cold weather, but in truth, that myth has been busted long ago. You can't contract a virus or bacterial infection as a result of the cold weather alone, though it could affect other factors that could cause you to get sick.

Cold weather can temporarily weaken the immune system, so while you will not be surrounded by any more or less bacteria or viruses, you may be more susceptible to them for a few weeks. In the same vein, if you're prone to stay indoors due to the cold (or all this rainy weather we've been having), you'll be in close quarters with other people for longer amounts of time, and there is always the potential that those people are spreading germs.

There isn't stability in the near future; the weather is expected to do a bit more rising and falling before settling into lower temperatures for good, and the rain will be coming and going as it pleases as well. Make sure if you live near Philadelphia to call your heating and air conditioning expert to get your unit in tip-top condition, because you're going to be spending a lot of time indoors in the weeks (well, maybe months) to come.

We have a cold winter ahead of us, and if the cold affects immune systems like it is said to, then Philly needs to be keeping warm! Bundle up and stay healthy this coming season.

Bucks County Heating and AC Use is on the Fritz

The United States has had some noteworthy weather these past few years. The past two winters yielded unprecedentedly warm weather and little snowfall; as a matter of fact, last year's was one of the warmest overall in the recorded history of the continental US. The summer to follow was record-breakingly warm as well. On top of it all, there has been below average rainfall as of late, especially on the coasts.

All this information might lead you to think that for the impending year you'll be minimally using your heating and air conditioning if you live in Bucks County (or anywhere on the East Coast, for that matter). However, the contrary is true – the unseasonable warmth will come to a halt this winter, especially in our neck of the woods. The east coast is anticipated to receive plenty of snowfall and more days with temperatures in the neighborhood of 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you're not a fan of Jack Frost, you might want to make an appointment with an HVAC services company to perform the (what should be) yearly routine maintenance on your unit. There are many things that could go wrong – and expensive things, at that – with a furnace or heating system, and you don't want to find that out in the midst of a blizzard. Getting your maintenance out of the way will prevent any unpleasant surprises come the colder months and could help you to avoid costly repairs in the future.

While you're at it, you might want to dust off the snow shovels (we know it's been a while) and make sure you're loaded up on salt before the colder-weather months come to greet you. Bundle up, Bucks County!