Denton County does not see ice storms every winter, but when one does roll through, it tends to arrive fast and knock out power right when everyone needs their heating system the most. Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 showed exactly what happens when a hard freeze meets a strained grid. A little preparation on your furnace, heat pump, and the pipes around them now saves a cold, stressful week later.
What Should You Check on Your Furnace Before an Ice Storm Hits?
Run your furnace on a mild day well before any storm is forecast, not during the first cold front. Let it run for 15 minutes and confirm warm air comes through every vent, the burners stay lit without cycling, and you do not smell gas or hear it trip a breaker. This is the same test we recommend in our fall furnace checklist, and it matters even more before a storm because a technician's schedule fills up fast once the cold actually arrives. Replace the filter if it has been more than 60 days, since a clogged filter makes an attic furnace in Krum or Sanger work harder exactly when you need it to be reliable.
How Do You Protect Pipes From Freezing During a Texas Cold Snap?
Insulate any exposed pipe you can reach in the attic, a garage, or along an exterior wall, using foam pipe sleeves from a hardware store. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air from the house can reach the plumbing inside. If your home has a hose bib outside, disconnect the hose and cover the spigot. None of this is HVAC equipment directly, but a burst pipe during a storm that also knocks out your heat turns one emergency into two, and our crew gets calls for both every time a hard freeze settles over the area.
Should You Change Your Thermostat Setting Before a Storm?
Keep it at your normal winter setpoint, or a degree or two below it, rather than turning the system off to save energy or cranking it up in anticipation. A furnace or heat pump running steadily at a consistent setpoint uses less energy overall than one that has to recover from a cold house, and a stable temperature gives pipes inside exterior walls more of a buffer before they reach freezing. If ERCOT issues a conservation request during the storm, drop the thermostat two or three degrees rather than shutting the system off entirely.
What Is Different About How a Heat Pump Handles an Ice Storm?
A heat pump pulls heat from outdoor air, so its efficiency drops as the temperature falls, and most systems switch on backup electric heat strips somewhere in the 35 to 40 degree range to make up the difference. During a true hard freeze, expect the outdoor unit to cycle into a defrost mode periodically, which can look like it is blowing cold air for a few minutes while it melts ice off the coil. That is normal operation, not a malfunction. If the house will not hold temperature at all during a deep freeze, the backup strips may not be kicking in, which is worth a call before the next cold front rather than during it.
| System type | Risk during an ice storm | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Gas furnace | Limit switch trips from restricted airflow, pilot or ignitor failure in cold, aging heat exchanger | No heat, repeated short cycling, burning smell |
| Heat pump | Reduced efficiency below 40 degrees, iced outdoor coil, backup strips not engaging | House not warming despite constant running |
| Exposed pipes | Freezing and bursting in attics, garages, exterior walls | Reduced water pressure, visible frost on pipes |
| Outdoor condenser or heat pump unit | Ice buildup blocking airflow, debris from ice-damaged tree limbs | Unit coated in ice, unusual noise during defrost |
| Electrical panel and disconnect | Surge or brownout stress during grid switching | Tripped breakers, blank thermostat after outage |
What Should You Do If the Power Goes Out During the Storm?
Turn the thermostat off at the first sign of an outage so the system is not mid-cycle when power returns. Our guide on what to do when the power comes back after a storm covers the full restart sequence, but the short version is to wait 10 to 15 minutes after power is restored before switching the AC or heat pump back on, so the compressor's pressure can equalize and avoid a hard start. For heat, confirm the furnace's power switch and gas valve are on and give the igniter a moment before assuming it failed.
Keep a battery powered space heater rated for indoor use and extra blankets on hand in case the outage runs long, as it did for days during Winter Storm Uri in parts of North Texas. Never run a generator, propane heater, or grill indoors or in a garage during an outage, since carbon monoxide builds up quickly in an enclosed space. The CDC has guidance on safe generator placement if you plan to run one outdoors during an extended outage.
Do You Need to Do Anything to Your Outdoor Unit Before or During the Storm?
Clear leaves and debris from around the condenser or heat pump base before the storm arrives, so ice does not trap debris against the cabinet. During the storm, knock accumulated ice off the top and sides gently with your hand rather than hot water or a sharp tool, which can crack coil fins. Homes in newer subdivisions around Frisco and Little Elm with builder-grade units sitting low to the ground tend to see more ice accumulation around the base than older installations on taller pads.
What Should You Do Next?
Run through this checklist on a mild day before the next cold front, not after the forecast turns scary and every technician in Denton County is already booked. If your furnace struggled on the test run, made an unusual noise last winter, or you are not sure your heat pump's backup strips are working, call us at 940-208-5398 before the storm, not during it. Our $89 AC tune-up special covers a full system check, and we run emergency service around the clock with no overtime fees if a hard freeze catches you off guard anyway. You can also request a visit through our contact page to get a technician out before the next ice storm, not during it.