Getting your home ready for your holiday guests isn’t only about cleaning, cooking, and decorating. Making sure that your heating system and plumbing is in tip top shape should not be over looked. Nothing can put a damper on the holiday spirit like a broken heater or backed up plumbing.

Add these few simple tips to your home holiday prep list this year.

• Toilets shouldn’t require instructions.
  • If you have to jiggle the handle, don’t leave a note on it, fix it. Toilets shouldn’t have any major or minor quirks. If the handle sticks, needs to be jiggled or held down to flush properly, there is is problem that should be fixed before company arrives.
  • Keep your bathrooms well stocked with extra toilet paper and supplies. When stocking with toilet paper try using a paper that isn’t too “fluffy”. Your toilet will be used and flushed much more then it’s use to so help it out with a toilet paper that will break down easier.
  • A plunger should always be readily available in every bathroom. Let’s face it, with the added use clogs still may happen. No one likes asking for a plunger and by the time one is found it may already be too late. Having one available in every bathroom could avoid added cleanup and embarrassment.

• Avoid kitchen sink back ups.
  • The day after Thanksgiving and Christmas is always a busy day for the plumbers. Mostly becaus
  • e of clogged kitchen sinks and garbage disposal issues. Make sure anything that is not suppose to go down the drain or garbage disposal goes in the trash and not the drain.
  • Put a small can by your sink/garbage disposal labeled “scraps”. This should help to avoid things that do not belong in your disposal or drain line from reeking havoc.
  • Most importantly, make sure everyone knows, just because it’s called a garbage disposal doesn’t mean you can put anything down it. Turkey bones, grease, noodles, gravy, potato peelings, etc should be thrown out and not put down the drain or in the disposal.

• Help your water heater out.
  • More people inevitably means more water use which also means your water heater will be work
  • ing overtime.
  • It’s best to wait 10 – 15 minutes between showers to allow the hot water heater to build up before using it again.
  • Most people don’t know that it’s also a good idea to have your water heater flushed and serviced by a professional. If this is something that you have never done, it may be time to make sure it’s running efficiently and properly before your company arrives.

• Check your filters, thermostats, & detectors.
  • Checking your filters should already be a monthly occurrence but checking them before your guests arrive will ensure you’re getting good air flow through your vents. There’s no law or rule about changing filters early. If the filter is holding any dirt or dust, go head and change; this will allow for optimal air flow. Not sure what type of filter to replace it with? This should help.
  • Have your heating system serviced and checked by a professional. Having a professional come out to clean and test your equipment could catch and failure waiting to happen.
  • Once the cooking commences and family starts to show up the temperature in your home will rise with the added body and oven heat. Adjusting your thermostat ahead of time will not only avoid a home that’s too hot but will help conserve energy.
  • Most importantly of all, test all of the detectors in the your home. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors saves lives daily. Make sure they are working properly and change the batteries if need be.

We hope everyone has a wonderful and warm holiday season with those who mean the most to you. If you are in the Hampton Roads area and find yourself in need of professional assistance R. A. Styron is here to help. Make sure to schedule your appointment with one of our seasoned professionals today, before it’s too late.