It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but for Atlanta homeowners entertaining guests, the holidays can be tough on your home’s most important systems. Below, the team at Assured Comfort Heating, Air & Plumbing shares four easy ways to prepare your home for the holidays, so you can enjoy quality time without worrying about electrical, HVAC, or plumbing issues.
Preparing Your Home for the Holidays, System by System
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 lead to blown fuses and increased fire risk.
How To Avoid Overloaded Circuits
- First, identify which devices and appliances are on the same circuit. The easiest way to do this is to head to your circuit panel and turn off circuits one by one; whatever powers down is on the circuit.
- Second, try to balance out how many appliances are on any given circuit, especially in the kitchen.
- Third, indicate outlets on circuits with lower electricity demand for guests to use. Place a small table or sign with a subtle message (“Power Station”) to encourage charging devices there.
- Finally, avoid using portable devices like space heaters and hair dryers at the same time and on the same circuit.
If your home is still experiencing overloaded circuits, consider rewiring them to improve performance and reduce your risk of fire or other problems.
2. Clean Out Drains
Backed-up sink and shower drains can cause real problems, especially when there are more people in the home than usual. Make time before guests arrive to clean out drains to avoid back-ups.
Cleaning Kitchen Drains
The most common causes of clogged kitchen drains are food debris and grease. To clean out kitchen drains, pour 1 cup of baking soda into the sink drain. If possible, cover the drain with a cap to force the pressure down the pipe. Let the baking soda work its magic for 10-15 minutes, then pour a pitcher of hot water down the drain to help dislodge and clear any remaining debris.
Cleaning Shower Drains
Shower drain clogs are often caused by soap scum and hair. While baking soda can help with soap scum, it’s ineffective against hair. To remove hair, use a drain snake, wire hanger, or plunger; sometimes all three are needed! If problems persist, tree roots in your sewer line may be the issue. Assured Comfort Heating, Air & Plumbing can quickly identify and resolve the problem to prevent leaks or backups.
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. Guests might be tempted to flush feminine products, tissues, or other items down the toilet, especially if they can’t find the trash can. Preparing your home for guests should include removing these items from the bathroom for the duration of their stay.
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, heavy food intake, and families spending more time at staying home.
4. Freshen Up Your Home’s Scent
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
- 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 from the fridge, and cleaning soft materials like upholstery, rugs, and carpeting.
Especially if you have pets or kids, carpets and area rugs tend to hold onto smells from dropped food, spilled beverages, and “accidents.” To remove these lingering odors, sprinkle baking soda onto the affected area and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. If the odor is still fresh or strong, allow a few hours! When the time is up, vacuum up the baking soda. Repeat as necessary to eliminate the smell.
Read More: How To Choose the Right Size Ceiling Fan
Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests Is Simple
Get ready for the holidays by ensuring guests feel welcome and comfortable with Assured Comfort Heating, Air & Plumbing. Discover why Atlanta residents rely on us for prompt, professional service. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season! Schedule your appointment now to tackle common home issues.
Call 770-464-5745 or contact us online to schedule HVAC, electrical, or plumbing services in Douglasville, Atlanta, and the surrounding areas.