Holiday Home Preparations For Happy Entertaining
Twinkling lights, festive music and colorfully wrapped presents add to the joy of the winter holidays, but for most people, it’s the opportunity to celebrate with friends and family that makes the season so special. Whether you’re hosting a family feast, entertaining friends or getting ready for overnight guests, you want your home to look its very best. You also want to provide a safe and comfortable environment for the people that mean the most to you. Use these tips to ensure that your home is fully prepared for the holidays.
Keep It Warm and Cozy
If you haven’t yet scheduled seasonal maintenance for your heating system, don’t delay any longer. The last thing you want is for your heater to fail when the weather turns frosty and your home is filled with your favorite people. Preventive maintenance offers you a number of money-saving benefits too. Your heating system will operate more efficiently, reducing your monthly heating costs, and because well-maintained heating systems last longer and need fewer repairs, you’ll save money down the road as well.
Keep It Clean
While you’ll need help from a pro to make sure your heating system is in tip-top shape, you can help optimize your heater for winter by regularly changing the air filter. A dirty or clogged filter not only forces your heating system to run longer than necessary but impacts your indoor air quality (IAQ) as well. The filters that come with most heaters are relatively inexpensive, so pick up a stack of them so that you can change them at the first sign of dirt.
Keep It Safe
Whether from seasonal candles, too-dry Christmas trees or overloaded electrical sockets, the number of residential fires in Alabama and Georgia increases dramatically during the winter months. These strategies from the Federal System Information Center can help you prep your home against fire hazards:
- Christmas Trees: Never place your tree near lit candles or heat sources like heaters, heating vents or fireplaces. If using an artificial tree, make sure that it is flame retardant.
- Lights: Inspect lights for frayed wires and broken sockets before stringing them up around your home. Avoid linking more than three light strands to a single electrical outlet.
- Decorations: Ensure that indoor and outdoor decorations are nonflammable. Never dispose of wrapping paper by burning it in a fireplace. It could clog the flue and cause an explosion.
Keep It Healthy
Instances of carbon monoxide poisoning increase significantly during the winter season as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you protect your family and guests from the colorless, tasteless and odorless gas by installing CO detectors. The Carrier® CO Alarm is a good option. It uses advanced sensor technology to monitor CO levels and alert you with a loud, audible alarm when dangerous levels of CO are present. To learn more about CO detector installations, preventive heater maintenance or additional home improvement tips, contact Riley Heating and Air Conditioning today, and have a safe, healthy and comfortable holiday season!