It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but for Jacksonville homeowners entertaining guests, the holidays can be tough on your home’s hard-working systems. Below, the team at David Gray 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 problems.
Preparing Your Home for the Holidays, System by System
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, with a little preparation, you can prevent circuits from overloading and drains from clogging.
1. Avoid Overloaded Circuits
Connecting too many devices can cause blown fuses and increased fire risk. Yet each guest will likely bring an electrical gadget or two to plug in, and preparing holiday meals may require additional small cooking appliances.
How To Avoid Overloaded Circuits
- Try to balance out how many appliances are on any given circuit, especially in the kitchen. But which devices and appliances are on the same circuit? Find out by heading to your circuit panel and turn off circuits one by one; whatever powers down is on the circuit.
- Encourage guests to use circuits with lower electricity demand by placing a small table or sign with a subtle message (“Power Station”) next to these.
- 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 having them rewired to reduce your risk of fire or other problems.
2. Clean Your Drains
Make time before guests arrive to clean out drains and avoid back-ups, leaks, and foul odors from clogged drains.
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
Soap scum and hair are the most common causes of shower drain clogs. While the baking soda method sometimes works against soap scum, it’s not a match for hair. To remove hair from your bathtub drain, you’ll need a drain snake, a wire, a hanger, or a plunger; sometimes, you might need to employ all three! If you’re still having issues after trying these mechanical methods, the problem may be caused by tree roots in your sewer line. David Gray will identify the cause and address the issue quickly, preventing further issues such as leaks or nasty backups.
3. Prevent Clogged Toilets
It’s the stuff of nightmares; you’re visiting friends and family, use the bathroom, and have to inform your host that the toilet might be clogged. (You know it is!) There are a few ways to protect your plumbing and your guests from the horror of a rapidly-overflowing toilet and prevent the associated embarrassment.
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 taking these items out of 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: Open windows and doors to let in fresh air, and run your HVAC system’s fan to increase air flow in the house.
- 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.
Carpets and rugs can hold onto smells from spilled food, drinks, and accidents. To remove odors, sprinkle baking soda on the affected area and let it sit for 20-30 minutes, or a few hours for stronger smells. Vacuum it up afterward, and the scent should be greatly reduced or gone. Repeat as needed for complete elimination.
Read More: How Smart Home Technology Can Improve Your Space
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 for anything with David Gray. Jacksonville residents trust our local home service technicians for quick and professional help when they need it most. From all of us, have a wonderful holiday season, and schedule an appointment to tackle common home issues this year!
Call 904-605-8190 or contact us online to schedule HVAC, electrical, or plumbing services in Jacksonville, FL, and the surrounding areas.