Austin homeowners love entertaining holiday guests, but the season can take a real toll on the core systems. Increased electricity demand, plenty of plumbing use, and unpredictable weather make hosting a bit complicated for even experienced hosts and hostesses. Precision Heating & Air has a few tips to prepare your HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems to handle the heavy holiday load.
How To Prepare Your Home for the Holidays
Since having more people around the house means more water use, more toilets flushing, and more gadgets plugged into outlets, the holidays can strain plumbing and electrical infrastructure. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent circuits from overloading and drains from clogging with a little preparation.
1. Use Your Thermostat
Bringing people together, day-long food prep, and spirited football fans can quickly turn your home into a sauna. Adjust your thermostat settings to keep everyone comfortable based on occupancy and activity levels. We recommend lowering your temperature by 4-6 degrees during holiday gatherings with a lot of guests (think 10 or more).
2. Prepare for Bad Weather (and Bad Luck)
Stay ahead of seasonal storms and plunging temperatures with preventive HVAC maintenance. If you host during the holidays every year, schedule your seasonal maintenance appointment a few weeks before the big day to ensure your heating system is in top condition. This will identify any necessary repairs before they disrupt your hosting plans.
3. Deodorize Your Home
One of the best ways to ensure your guests feel welcome is to deodorize your home. While you may not notice it, every house has its own distinct smell, which may or may not agree with some guests.
How To Deodorize Your Home Quickly
- Start by opening windows and doors to let in fresh air. You can also run your HVAC system’s fan to increase air flow in the house, improving ventilation.
- Address common causes of odor by taking out the trash, cleaning out drains, throwing out old food from the fridge, and cleaning soft materials like upholstery, rugs, and carpeting.
There are also natural ways to deodorize your home, such as shaking baking soda onto carpet or rugs and letting it sit for 20-30 minutes before vacuuming it up. Skip expensive and overpowering air fresheners and make your own: you can mix baking soda and your favorite essential oil in a small jar and place it near the trash or sink.
Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests Is Simple
Focus on the basics when getting ready for the holidays: make guests feel welcome, be accommodating, and be ready for anything with Precision Heating & Air. Find out why Austin residents trust our local home service technicians for prompt, professional service when it matters most. From our entire team, have a wonderful holiday season, and schedule an appointment to get ahead of common home issues this year!
Call 512-379-6385 or contact us online to schedule HVAC services in Austin, Sun City, and the surrounding areas.