The easiest way to keep your home comfortable with a full house is to turn your thermostat down a few degrees before guests arrive, make sure every vent is open, and put in a fresh furnace filter. A crowd of people plus an oven running all day adds a lot of heat, so a house set to your usual temperature tends to get stuffy fast. A little prep keeps everyone comfortable, and it keeps your furnace from picking the biggest day of the year to act up.
If you’re hosting in Jackson this season, you probably have a list a mile long already. Here are 7 things to add to it, and none of them take long.
1. Lower the Thermostat Before Guests Arrive
Every person in your living room is a small space heater, and your oven is a big one. If you keep the thermostat at your normal setting, the house can get warm and stuffy within an hour or two.
Try dropping it 2 to 3 degrees about an hour before people show up. You can nudge it back up later if the kitchen cools off or a few guests are chilly. If you have a programmable or smart thermostat, set a schedule for the day so you’re not running back and forth to the hallway.
2. Leave Your Vents Open, Even in Rooms Nobody Uses
It’s tempting to close vents in the guest room or basement to “save heat.” We usually recommend leaving them open because your system is designed to move a certain amount of air through the whole house. Closing registers can throw that balance off and make some rooms colder than they should be.
Before the holidays, walk through and make sure no vent is blocked by a couch, a rug, or a pile of boxes you’ve been meaning to deal with.
3. Put in a Fresh Furnace Filter
A dirty filter restricts airflow and makes uneven temperatures worse. For standard 1 inch filters, every one to three months is the general rule, and more often if you have pets or allergies. With extra people tracking in dust and extra cooking, a fresh filter is a cheap way to head off problems.
4. Plan for Kitchen Heat (and Kitchen Distractions)
A hot oven and four burners going can push the kitchen and the rooms around it well past comfortable. Turn on your range hood or exhaust fan while you cook, and keep the kitchen doorway open so heat can spread out instead of building up.
Cooking safety matters just as much as comfort this time of year. The National Fire Protection Association says Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, with Christmas Day and Christmas Eve ranking second and third, and that unattended cooking is the leading factor. With guests and distractions around, keep an eye on the stove and set a timer. And never use your oven to heat your home, even if one room feels chilly.
5. Fix the Cold Spots Before Company Comes
Every house has one room that never feels right, and guests always end up in it. Uneven heating can come from a clogged filter, a failing blower motor, or a thermostat issue, and a technician can usually pinpoint it quickly.
A few quick things to try first:
- Make sure the vent in that room is fully open and not blocked
- Check that the door and window seals aren’t letting in a draft
- Swap in a fresh filter if it’s been a while
If the room is still cold after that, it’s worth having us take a look before your guests arrive.
6. Get a Tune Up Before the Rush
Furnaces work hardest when the weather turns cold, which is exactly when holiday plans kick in. If your system hasn’t been serviced this year, a tune up helps catch worn parts, blocked vents, and dirty filters before they cause trouble.
Our Comfort Clubhouse members get an annual tune up, priority scheduling, 15% off services, and no standard diagnostic fees, with plans starting as low as $20 per month. Priority scheduling is nice to have when everyone in town is calling at once.
7. Know What to Do If the Furnace Quits Mid Party
It happens, and it always seems to be at the worst moment. Before you panic, run through the basics:
- Make sure the thermostat is set to “heat” and the temperature is set higher than the current room temperature
- Check that the furnace power switch is on and the breaker hasn’t tripped
- Look at the filter, since a clogged one can cause the furnace to overheat and shut down as a safety precaution
If none of that gets it running, call us at (517) 879-2049. We offer emergency service 24/7 in Jackson and the surrounding areas, including holidays. If the repair turns into a bigger conversation, we also have financing options with 0% interest for up to 12 months, subject to credit approval.
Enjoy the Party. We’ve Got the Heat
You can’t control the weather or how many relatives show up, but you can make sure your heating system is ready. If you want a pro to check things over before the holidays, give us a call at (517) 879-2049 or request a service online. We’ve been keeping Jackson county and the surrounding areas comfortable since 1981.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature should I set my thermostat when I have a lot of guests? Try setting it a few degrees lower than normal about an hour before guests arrive. People and a hot oven add heat to the house, so you can often be comfortable at a lower setting.
Why is my house so hot when I cook for the holidays? Ovens and stovetops add a lot of heat, and a house full of people adds more. Using your range hood, keeping the kitchen doorway open, and lowering the thermostat a bit can help.
Should I close vents in rooms I’m not using? We usually recommend leaving them open. Your system is built to move air through the whole house, and closing vents can create uneven temperatures.
Why is one room in my house colder than the others? Common causes include a clogged filter, a blocked vent, drafts, or a problem with the blower motor or thermostat. A technician can find the cause and fix it.
Does Aspen offer emergency furnace repair on holidays? Yes. We offer emergency HVAC service 24/7 in Jackson and the surrounding areas. Call (517) 879-2049 any time.
Aspen One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning provides HVAC services in Jackson County and the surrounding areas, including Stockbridge, Grass Lake, and Hillsdale. If you have any questions about our services or want to see if we service your area, give us a call at (517) 879-2049.
