It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but for Ocala homeowners entertaining guests, the holidays can be tough on your home’s most important systems. Below, the team at Patrick's Heating & Air Conditioning put together four easy ways to prepare your home for the holidays, so you can enjoy quality time without worrying about electrical, HVAC, or plumbing issues.
How To Prepare Your Home for the Holidays
Unfortunately, the holidays often put additional strain on plumbing and electrical infrastructure. Having more people around the house means more water use, more toilets flushing, and more gadgets plugged into outlets. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent circuits from overloading and drains from clogging with a little preparation.
1. Avoid Overloaded Circuits
Especially if your guests are staying for a few nights, expect everyone to bring an electrical gadget or two to plug in. Preparing holiday meals may also require additional small cooking appliances, many of which get plugged into kitchen circuits that may already handle large appliances. Connecting too many devices can cause blown fuses and increased fire risk.
How To Avoid Overloaded Circuits
- Identify which devices and appliances are on the same circuit: head to your circuit panel and turn off circuits one by one, and whatever powers down is on the circuit. Try to balance out how many appliances are on any given circuit, especially in the kitchen.
- Avoid using portable devices like space heaters and hair dryers at the same time and on the same circuit.
- Identify outlets on circuits with lower electricity demand and offer these for guests to use. Place a small table or sign with a subtle message (“Power Station”) to encourage charging devices there.
If your home is still experiencing overloaded circuits, consider having circuits rewired to improve performance and reduce your risk of fire or other problems.
2. Clean Your Drains
Backed-up sink and shower drains can cause serious problems, especially when more people are in the home than usual. To avoid back-ups, leaks, and foul odors from clogged drains, make time to clean out drains before guests arrive.
- Cleaning out kitchen drains: Food debris and grease are the most common causes of clogged kitchen drains. In some cases, you can clear out drains with water and baking soda. First, pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain; if there’s a drain cap, place it over the drain to force the bubbles and pressure down the pipe. After 10 to 15 minutes, pour a pitcher of hot (not scalding) water down the drain to flush out any lingering debris.
- Cleaning out shower drains: Hair and soap residue are regular culprits here. In many cases, you’ll need to use a drain snake, a wire hanger, a plunger, or all three to clear a clogged shower drain. If your shower drain still backs up after trying these mechanical methods, your sewer line may be blocked by tree roots below your home or in the yard. Contact your local plumbing team to take a closer look!
3. Prevent Clogged Toilets
It’s a holiday guest’s worst nightmare: they use the bathroom, flush, wash their hands, and spot a nearly overflowing toilet as they go to leave the room. Preventing toilet clogs is a smart way to protect guests (and yourself!) from the embarrassment of clogging up the throne.
How To Prevent Toilet Clogs
The best way to prevent clogged toilets is to remove any non-flushable items from the bathroom. While toilet paper is the most common cause of clogs, these bathroom staples should never go down the drain to prevent clogs, plumbing damage, or sewer line and septic tank problems:
- Cotton balls
- Q-tips
- Non-flushable wipes
- Tissues
- Wrappers
- Floss
There’s a reason one holiday in particular is the busiest plumbing day of the year. Occurring the day after Thanksgiving, “Brown Friday” sees a spike in plumbing problems, mostly associated with lots of house guests and families spending more time at home.
4. Deodorize Your Home
One of the best ways to ensure your guests feel welcome is to ventilate and 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
- Air it out: 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.
- Remove the stink: Address common causes of odor by taking out the trash, cleaning out drains, throwing out old food in 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 to 30 minutes before vacuuming it up. Skip expensive, overpowering air fresheners and make your own: mix baking soda with your favorite essential oil in a small jar and place it near the trash or sink!
Read More: How To Choose the Right Size Ceiling Fan
Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests Is Simple
Get ready for the holidays by focusing on the basics: make your guests feel welcome, be accommodating, and stay prepared with Patrick's Heating & Air Conditioning. Ocala residents trust our local home service technicians for quick and professional help when it matters most. From all of us, we wish you a wonderful holiday season. Schedule an appointment now to tackle common home issues this year!
To schedule HVAC, electrical, or plumbing services in Ocala, The Villages, and the surrounding areas, call 352-329-3740 or contact us online.