Spending time with loved ones is a yearly holiday highlight for many people. Traditions, beliefs and distance traveled vary between families. Where one person welcomes a large group to their house, another takes the whole brood on vacation. A smart move this holiday season: do a complete examination of your house, no matter what your plans are.

Holiday hosts need to ready their supplies and equipment for a larger group. Vacationers need to slow down their systems to avoid wasting water and electricity. Check out our guides for hosts and vacationers.

Hosts
A full house is a joy - until something goes wrong. Follow these guidelines to a disaster-free get-together.

• Expect your electric bill to increase. More people will be staying your house, and holiday lighting will be on, which adds to energy use. Keep a supply of light bulbs handy.
• Stock up on toilet paper and Kleenex for the bathroom. Supply the kitchen with paper towels and dish soap. Have a fire extinguisher in close distance to the stove and oven.
• Keep a stopper in your garbage disposal until you are ready to clean up. Guests unaccustomed to your house are more likely to put the wrong things down the drain.
• Run the dishwasher, washing machine, and shower at different times of the day. By spreading out your need for hot water, your water heater will not have to work as hard replacing your supply. Wash clothes and dishes at night to avoid peak costs.
• More traffic through the front door lets cold air into the house. If you don’t have one already, install a door sweep on your main entry to minimize leakage from the outside.
• Have major appliances checked by a professional. Problems with water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines, furnaces, and drain systems can all be avoided with a pre-holiday inspection. In the meantime, place a plunger near every toilet.
• Avoid power surges by safely installing holiday lighting.
• Check the batteries on your smoke detector. Set an evacuation plan in case of an emergency. Stock your first aid kit.

Vacationers
Use this list when leaving home for more than a few days. Remember, the equipment that causes the most comfort is also the most dangerous. Double-check your water heater and furnace before you leave. Freezing pipes and inches of snow aren’t a factor for Phoenix residents, so follow these easy steps secure your home while you are away.

• If you have a house or pet sitter, show them where your thermostat, furnace, and water heater are. Make sure they know what to do in case of an emergency. Leave the phone number for the gas company in case of a leak, and the vet in case your pet isn’t feeling well.
• Turn off water to toilets and sinks. Turn knob to the right to close the valve and to the left to open it.
• Take care of outstanding water and electric bills
• Set timers on house lights. This will prevent your house from being burglarized. Have someone you trust pick up your mail.
• Clean refrigerator and take out trash.
• Set heat to low, but do not turn it off completely. Without air, pipes can burst and grow mold and mildew.
• Unplug unused electronics such as washers, dryers, coffee machines, TVs, cell phone chargers, etc. This is less of a drain on electricity.
• Cover pools and spas.
• Close drains in kitchen and bathroom

Questions or concerns? Sun Devil Plumbing can help. Schedule an appointment or give us a call today.