It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but for Austin homeowners entertaining guests, the holidays can be tough on your home’s most important systems. Below, the team at Daniel's Plumbing & Air Conditioning puts together four easy ways to prepare your home for the holidays, so you can enjoy quality time without worrying about electrical, HVAC, or plumbing problems.
Preparing 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. Prevent Overloaded Circuits
Expect each guest 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
- 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. 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.
- Next, indicate outlets on circuits with lower electricity demand for guests to use. Place a small table or sign (“Power Station”) to encourage charging devices there.
If your home is still facing issues with overloaded circuits, consider rewiring strained circuits 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 and avoid back-ups, leaks, and foul odors from clogged drains.
- 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 move any lingering debris along.
- 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 then spot a nearly-overflowing toilet. Preventing toilet clogs is a smart way to protect guests (and yourself!) from embarrassment.
How To Prevent Toilet Clogs
The best way to prevent clogged toilets? 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 taking these items out of the bathroom for the duration of their stay.
Clogged Toilets, Thanksgiving, and “Brown Friday”
The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year for most plumbing companies, with the day after Thanksgiving widely considered the busiest day on the calendar. The combination of intense meal prep, plenty of house guests, and families spending more time than usual at home leads to “Brown Friday,” with a spike in emergency plumbing problems.
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. Addressing your indoor air quality will mitigate these odors and may improve your health, too!
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.
Natural ways to deodorize your home include shaking baking soda on carpets and letting it sit for 20-30 minutes before vacuuming. You can also mix baking soda with your favorite essential oil in a jar and place it near the trash or sink; this will act as a natural air freshener.
Read More: Common Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality
Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests Is Simple
Prepare for the holidays by making guests feel welcome and being ready with Daniel's Plumbing & Air Conditioning. Trust our local home service technicians for prompt, professional help. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season! Schedule an appointment to tackle common home issues early this year.
Call 512-456-3570 or contact us online to schedule HVAC, electrical, or plumbing service in Bee Cave, Kyle, and the surrounding areas.