If it's cold outside and you want to warm things up, then you will want to make sure you are using your available sources of heat. If you have a central HVAC system, then this is easy. All you will have to do is turn it on and set it to the temperature you want. However, if your HVAC system is not working, then you'll want to keep the following alternatives in mind.

Use your wood burning stove

You already know that using your wood burning stove will help you to warm the house, but you may not know how to get the absolute most out of it. If it has a blower, turn the blower on as soon as the fire gets going. If there is no blower, then you can use stand-up fans placed right in front of the stove to blow the hot air to the center of the room so you get more out of it. Also, once you get the fire going, you want to make sure you keep adding logs as soon as it starts to go down instead of waiting. You can use other fans to steer the warm air where you need it. Make sure you close off unused areas so they don't use up the much needed heat.

Use your oven

When you are trying to warm your house up, it is a perfect time for you to make those meals that require you to crank the oven temperature up to around 450 degrees. Cook your meal and once it is done, you want to crack the oven door so it is about two to three inches open and leave it until the oven is all the way cooled down.

Use your clothes drier

Putting thick blankets into the drier until they get nice and warm can help you to heat up small areas. You take the blankets out and throw them over the seating. Not only does it give everyone a nice and warm seat, but the heat will also help to increase the temperature in the room a bit. It may not last all that long, but you can keep blankets coming and going in and out of the drier for more help to continuously add more of that warmth to the room on a fairly consistent basis and every little bit will help.

These tips will help you get by while you wait for an HVAC contractor to repair your system.