What Not To Do During Christmas

It’s almost Christmas time and we all know what that means! Cookies, pies, trees, wreathes, lights and so many more decorations are to come. Even though a lot changes, there are a few things that NEED to stay the same. We already spend too much on presents; imagine spending too much on an electric bill at the same time or even an expensive repair caused by silly little ideas. Here are a few tips on what not to do when decorating for the holidays.

Never cover your thermostat

If many people are like me, you go to Pinterest for decorating and find all these cute little ideas. Too bad Pinterest doesn’t take our pocket book into consideration. I’ve seen several ideas for easy cheap ways to decorate/cover your thermostat during this holiday season.  Do not, I repeat do not cover up your thermostat in your home. Your thermostat is designed to be exposed so it can accurately gauge the temperature of your home. Throwing off the thermostat will throw off the comfort in the house and no one will want to sit in a muggy, freezing, or steaming house.

Don’t heat up the thermostat

Lights do not belong next to thermostats!  Exposing a thermostat to a heat source can cause false readings. This may prevent your HVAC equipment from running when it should, or may cause it to cool when it should be heating which could lead to equipment or other home damages. For the same reason, you shouldn’t have your thermostat near windows with direct sunlight, lighting and lamps, or other electronic equipment that could generate heat.

Don’t block​​​​​​​ your air vents

When the holiday season comes, so does winter cleaning! Everything is being moved, reorganized, and cleaned to make room for all the decorations and the tree.  When performing these tasks, be sure to watch the surroundings and make sure no vents are being covered. As for the tree, make sure it’s nowhere near a vent. We’re talking about a major fire hazard here folks! Christmas is already expensive enough; imagine having to rebuild a home on top of that. I have seen too many families lose everything over the smallest mistake.