Practical Tips for Safety & Comfort
‘Tis the season to be merry, so Minnesotans are making plans to welcome holiday guests, host family celebrations and brave busy airports. When schedules are already packed with parades, shopping, decorating and tree-trimming, the last thing families want to deal with is an HVAC or plumbing emergency. Unfortunately, frigid weather and increased equipment use can adversely impact home systems. Before the season’s activities are in full swing, minimize the chance of holiday hiccups by scheduling professional inspection and maintenance of HVAC systems, drains and plumbing.
McQuillan Bros, Minnesota’s Original plumbing and HVAC contractor, has helped generations of Twin Cities families prepare their homes for safe and cozy celebrations. Pre-holiday services include drain checkups and drain cleaning, gas line safety inspections, water heater installation, furnace and boiler repair in Minneapolis and boiler repair in Washington County.
McQuillan Bros’ certified experts know that equipment breakdowns or plumbing failures are disastrous when you’re entertaining or traveling away from home. To help you survive the season in comfort, check out these helpful plumbing and heating maintenance tips.
Five Ways to Minimize Holiday Heating & Plumbing Disasters
1. Maintain hot water for all your needs. When family and friends stay with you during the holidays, hot water heaters can have a tough time keeping up. Follow these suggestions to ensure ample hot water for everyone:
- Turn the temperature on your water heater up to 120 degrees.
- Ask guests to shower at 20-minute intervals.
- Only use your dishwasher and washer during quiet times of day. Avoid running these appliances during meal prep and bath times.
If you are planning a long trip over the holidays, turn off your water and water heater to avoid unnecessary energy use and prevent damage from undetected leaks.
2. Protect garbage disposals from misuse. A stalled or clogged garbage disposal can bring meal prep to a standstill. Grinding dense and fibrous foods, eggshells, bones and large quantities of food with too-little water can damage a disposal or cause a plumbing emergency. When entertaining a crowd, put out extra trash cans and avoid using the disposal for food waste.
3. Be prepared for bathroom clogs. Holiday guests give sinks, tubs and toilets a workout. Before houseguests arrive, schedule professional drain cleaning and pipe inspection. Then, protect bathroom drains by:
- Installing screens in sinks, tubs and showers to prevent hair and foreign objects from going down drains.
- Keeping a plunger in each bathroom.
- Placing wastebaskets where guests can use them conveniently.
4. Give your heating system TLC. Lower your home’s indoor temperature when you’re expecting a crowd of people. For efficient furnace operation, install new or cleaned filters before holiday parties. You may even consider installing a programmable thermostat to save money while optimizing guest comfort. As a bonus, this device delivers high-efficiency heating, all season long.
5. Keep McQuillan Bros on speed dial. Even with the most diligent maintenance, equipment can break down or you could end up coping with a holiday home disaster. You’ll appreciate McQuillan Bros’ prompt, 24/7 emergency service and upfront pricing. Our trucks are stocked with the parts and supplies to restore your home to full-function, as quickly as possible. When things go wrong, call [hls_phone_number]. Our experienced, certified technicians are ready to provide frozen pipe repair in Saint Paul or boiler repair in Minneapolis.
McQuillan Bros Is Your Year-Round Home Maintenance Partner
McQuillan Bros has been protecting the year-round safety and wellbeing of four generations of discerning Minnesota residents. Whether you need boiler repair in Washington County, plumbing installation in Ramsey County or emergency repairs during the Christmas and New Year holidays, we offer service you can count on and pricing that won’t break your budget. Call (651) 243-3632 to schedule pre-holiday maintenance or use our simple online contact form for service requests.
