Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but for Leesburg homeowners entertaining guests, the holidays can be tough on your home’s most important systems. Below, the team at M.E. Flow Inc. 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.

How To Prepare Your Home for the Holidays

The holiday season can take a real toll on your home’s most important systems. Hosting means more water use, more electricity use, and more folks tweaking the thermostat to get comfortable. Fortunately, there are a few things homeowners can do to reduce the risk of leaks, clogs, or other issues, so they can focus on making merry rather than making late-night phone calls for emergency repairs.

1. Avoid Overloaded Circuits

More guests, more devices, more strain on your home’s electrical system. Homeowners can stay ahead of issues by preventing overloaded circuits with a little sleuthing and preparation.

How To Avoid Overloaded Circuits

Which devices and appliances are on the same circuit? The easiest way to find out 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 such as space heaters and hair dryers on the same circuit at the same time.
Indicate outlets on circuits with lower demand for guest use. Place a small table and a sign next to these outlets to encourage charging devices there.

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

Like electricity use, water consumption increases quickly with every guest and every big meal. Stay ahead of clogged drains with basic proactive cleaning a few days before company arrives; here’s where to start.

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.

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 the embarrassment of a clogged 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 problems with sewer lines and septic tanks:

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, heavy food intake, and families spending more time at staying home.

4. 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

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.

The holiday season often places extra demands on plumbing and electrical systems due to more people in the home, leading to increased water use and more devices plugged in. To prevent circuit overloads and clogged drains, taking proactive measures is key to ensuring everything runs smoothly.