With holiday season here yet again, many of us plan to host holiday parties as the winter wonderland unfolds outside in the big snowglobe we call Ohio. With it being so cold outside, those of us hosting holiday parties go to great lengths to ensure all our guests are as comfortable and as happy as possible during our big gatherings.
Doing so this, however, is easier said than done because with so many people under one roof, things can easily seem too cold, or too hot, for someone.
Because everyone has their own comfort preferences finding that middle ground that best suits everyone can be a challenge.
As such, we at Upper Arlington Heating & Cooling, put together the following list of heating tips for holiday parties.
Top 12 Holiday Party Heating Tips
- Communication is essential. In our modern fast-paced sometimes complicated world, a lot of times the simplest and easiest solution to our problems is right in front of us. If you’re looking to ensure everyone’s comfort during a holiday gathering and don’t want anyone adjusting the temperature without your knowing, very politely, in an upfront way, communicate this to everyone. Tell them you need to be the one adjusting the thermostat, if necessary, and that you want everyone to be comfortable. With a variety of people under one roof, emphasize that compromise and communication are key. Without being bossy or losing festive spirit, tell them you’d rather not have anyone touching the thermostat or opening any doors or windows to cool off.
- Preventative maintenance is essential. If you haven’t done so already, make sure your home heating system has been serviced by a professional this year.
- Never neglect air filters. Make sure the air filter in your furnace is in good shape. Proper airflow is essential all winter long. If it’s not, replace it right away.
- Switch your ceiling fan’s setting to “reverse.” Reversing the motion of your ceiling fans makes them push the rising warm air back downward to floor level where it’s needed most. As such, heat will be maximized, air will be circulated and there will be a more even temperature throughout the home.
- Make sure the area around your furnace and all other heating equipment and air vents is free, open with adequate space surrounding it. These areas should always be clear of items, especially items that are flammable. There should be several feet of space surrounding any HVAC system at all times. During your party, however, be mindful that these areas can easily become cluttered. Take the necessary steps to ensure they don’t. Heating devices always need space and proper airflow.
- Lower your thermostat while you are cooking — or when everyone has arrived, or both. Cooking brings heat into a home and the more bodies gathered under one roof does the same. Combine cooking and a home full of people and things warm up pretty quickly. Having a smart thermostat will make all this go much smoother, as you can adjust your thermostat with your smartphone at any point during the party from anywhere. If you don’t have a smart thermostat, you consider having one installed; we do this at very affordable rates and it takes very little time.
- Make blankets available. As noted, almost everyone knows at least one friend or loved one who is always cold no matter how warm it is. For these individuals, we recommend making blankets available around couches and chairs so they use them if things get too cold for them..
- Cook ahead of time. As noted, during holiday parties where a group of people are gathered under one roof, cooking can heat things up in no time. No one wants to roast their guests. If you want to avoid things getting too hot, we suggest cooking ahead of time as much as possible and keeping an eye on inside temperatures during the party.
- Fire up fireplaces. For added holiday ambiance, and savings on heating costs, you can build a fire in your fireplace for your holiday party. Just make sure the fireplace is safe and functional. With a fire going, you can lower the thermostat.
- Keep windows latched, or locked. Locking windows forms a tighter seal around them and prevents cool air from coming in and warm air from escaping. Also, locking them should keep guests from opening them.
- Install a whole-home humidifier. Whole-home humidifiers make your home far more comfortable all year long, which is a good thing for your holiday party. During the cold months when the air is really dry, humidification enables the air to retain heat better, which gives your furnace a break as you can lower your thermostat without sacrificing comfort. Humidifiers also reduce or eliminate static electricity in the air, which will keep your guests more comfortable.
- Use space heaters. If your home has areas that are usually colder than the rest of the house, space heaters are a good solution for evening out temperatures during the party. However, we should note that this is only a short term solution. Uneven temperature levels are a sure sign of an HVAC problem that could be costly if left unchecked. If this is happening, you should give us a call to discuss it.
Give us a call anytime!
If you are having issues with your furnace, or if you are interested in discussing any of the services we mentioned above, like humidifiers, smart thermostats or maintenance, please call Upper Arlington Heating & Cooling today at (614) 490-7507, or schedule an appointment now by clicking here! We’d love hearing from you.
In the meantime, from our family to yours, Happy Holidays!
