Being a great host starts with keeping your home comfortable. Holiday gatherings can already bring plenty of stress, and worrying about guests feeling too warm or too cold only adds to it. The good news is that a few simple HVAC habits can help you maintain the perfect indoor temperature no matter how busy your home gets.
Schedule a Professional HVAC Tune-Up and Inspection
Ideally, heating tune-ups should happen early in the fall before you switch on your system. If you haven’t scheduled one yet, it’s still worthwhile to do so before hosting guests. A professional tune-up improves performance, boosts efficiency, and helps ensure all areas of your home heat evenly.
Just as important, your technician can catch potential issues before they lead to a sudden breakdown. The last thing you want is for your heating system to fail right before guests arrive, forcing you into an emergency repair call or a change of plans.
Adjust the Thermostat Setting
Extra people inside your home generate more body heat than you might expect. Combined with a warm kitchen from holiday cooking, your home can quickly become uncomfortably warm.
A simple solution is to lower your thermostat by 2–3 degrees before guests arrive. The house will still feel cozy, but your system won’t run as much, preventing rooms from overheating throughout the gathering.
Leave the HVAC Fan Running
Poor air circulation is a common cause of stuffy rooms during gatherings. Switching the fan setting from “AUTO” to “ON” keeps the blower running continuously, which helps move air evenly throughout the home.
While “AUTO” is normally recommended for everyday use, the “ON” setting is helpful during events since it improves airflow, reduces stagnant pockets of warm air, and keeps guests more comfortable.
Use Ceiling Fans to Circulate Air
Ceiling fans are a great supplement to your HVAC system during the holidays. Running your fan clockwise on low helps pull cooler air up and push warm air downward, making the room feel more comfortable at lower thermostat settings.
If a room feels too warm, switch the fan to counterclockwise to create a gentle cooling breeze that helps offset body heat and kitchen warmth.
Keep Interior Doors Open
Open interior doors allow air to circulate freely throughout your home. Closed doors restrict airflow and create pressure imbalances, which make it harder for your HVAC system to move heated air evenly.
Good airflow ensures your system distributes warm air efficiently, preventing hot and cold pockets in different rooms — especially important when you have guests staying overnight.
Open and Clean All Your Vents
Before guests arrive, walk through your home and make sure all supply and return vents are open and unobstructed. Move furniture, décor, and rugs away from vents so air can flow freely.
Vacuuming vent covers is also helpful, as dust buildup can restrict airflow. If guests are staying in certain bedrooms, double-check that vents in those rooms are fully open so they stay warm and comfortable.
Closed or blocked vents disrupt balanced airflow, which can cause uneven heating and unnecessary strain on your HVAC system. Keeping everything open allows warm air to reach every room equally.
Manage Kitchen Heat
Holiday cooking can quickly raise the temperature in parts of your home. Keep your kitchen’s exhaust fan running to remove excess heat and steam, and crack a window if possible to bring in cooler air.
Cooking strategically can make a big difference. Using slow cookers, roasters, or preparing dishes ahead of time helps reduce the extra heat from the oven. When cooking on the stove, keeping pots and pans covered limits the amount of steam released into your home.
At Gunthers Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing, we’re proud to be the trusted heating and cooling company in American Fork. As a local, family-owned business since 1910, we’re here to help with all your home comfort needs this holiday season. We service and repair all makes and models of furnaces, heat pumps, and boilers. For reliable heating maintenance, repair, or installation, contact Gunthers Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing today.
