Thanksgiving HVAC Tips for a Comfortable, Safe Home

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest times of the year for homeowners, and your HVAC system works harder than usual when the house is full of guests and the kitchen is running all day. Keeping your system tuned and ready helps avoid breakdowns and keeps everyone comfortable.

Horizon Air Conditioning is here to help you enjoy a stress-free holiday, and for November we’re offering 10% off all HVAC installations and repairs. It’s a great time to take care of that tune-up or needed repair before friends and family arrive.

1. Schedule a Pre-Holiday HVAC Checkup

The best way to avoid a Thanksgiving week emergency is to schedule a professional inspection and tune-up before guests arrive. A pre-holiday visit lets a technician spot worn parts, airflow issues, or safety concerns before they turn into a no-heat or no-cool call.

• Catch small issues early before they become expensive breakdowns.
• Verify that heating and cooling are working evenly throughout the home.
• Improve safety by checking gas, electrical, and ventilation components.

During a tune-up, a technician typically inspects electrical connections, checks refrigerant or gas components, cleans critical parts, and verifies that the system is cycling on and off correctly. This improves comfort, reduces the risk of a breakdown, and can lower energy use.

When you book your service with Horizon Air Conditioning in November, you can apply our 10% off installation and repairs promotion if any issues are found that need fixing. This keeps your system reliable and your budget under control before the holidays.

2. Replace Air Filters Before Guests Arrive

Extra people in the home means more dust, dander, and cooking particles in the air, so a clean filter is especially important around Thanksgiving. A dirty filter restricts airflow, makes the system work harder, and can lead to uneven temperatures or poor indoor air quality.

• Check your filter at least a week before Thanksgiving.
• Replace 1-inch filters every 1–3 months, or more often with pets or heavy use.
• Make a note on your calendar or phone for the next filter change.

Most standard 1-inch filters should be checked monthly and replaced at least every 1–3 months, but heavy use or pets may require more frequent changes. Swapping the filter a few days before your gathering is a quick, low-cost way to boost comfort and reduce strain on the equipment.

3. Adjust Your Thermostat for Cooking and Crowds

Between a hot oven, multiple stovetop burners, and a house full of guests, indoor temperatures can rise quickly on Thanksgiving. Many experts suggest lowering the thermostat a few degrees before guests arrive so the home stays comfortable without overcooling or overheating.

• Lower the thermostat 2–3 degrees before guests arrive.
• Keep an eye on the temperature as the oven runs throughout the day.
• Use ceiling fans on a low setting to gently move air without drafts.

Smart and programmable thermostats make this even easier by letting you create temporary holiday schedules. Slightly lower settings while the oven is running and the house is crowded can maintain comfort and cut energy use at the same time.

4. Improve Airflow and Ventilation

Good airflow helps keep temperatures more even between rooms, especially when doors are opening frequently and the kitchen is producing extra heat. Make sure supply vents and returns are not blocked by furniture, rugs, or holiday decorations.

• Confirm all supply and return vents are open and unobstructed.
• Use ceiling fans on low to recirculate warm or cool air gently.
• Use kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to vent excess heat and humidity.

Ceiling fans can be set to a low, clockwise direction in cooler months to gently push warm air down without creating a draft. When cooking, use exhaust fans or briefly crack a window to help remove excess heat and humidity from the kitchen.

5. Seal Drafts and Keep the Warmth In

Even in milder climates, small drafts around doors and windows can make rooms uncomfortable and increase heating costs during the holidays. Adding simple weatherstripping or caulking gaps helps your HVAC system maintain a steady temperature with less effort.

• Check exterior doors for noticeable drafts or daylight around the frame.
• Add basic weatherstripping or door sweeps where you feel cold air.
• Close doors to unused rooms to keep conditioned air where guests gather.

Closing doors to unused rooms and keeping windows fully latched also reduces load on the system. These small steps can make a noticeable difference when you are hosting and trying to keep everyone cozy without constantly adjusting the thermostat.

6. Focus on Holiday Safety

Thanksgiving is one of the peak days for home fires, and heating equipment and cooking appliances are common sources of problems. Testing smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors before the holiday is a simple way to protect your family and guests.

• Smoke alarms that do not sound when tested.
• CO alarms showing low-battery or fault indicators.
• Unusual smells, soot, or scorch marks near heating equipment.

Keep anything flammable at least a few feet away from furnaces, space heaters, and stove areas, and never use an oven or stove to heat your home. If you use gas heat or other combustion appliances, working carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home are essential.

7. Plan Ahead for Emergencies

Even with good maintenance, equipment can fail at inconvenient times, and holidays tend to be busy for service companies. Knowing how to shut off your system at the thermostat and breaker, and keeping your HVAC company’s contact information handy, makes it easier to respond quickly.

Enjoy a Comfortable Thanksgiving with Horizon Air Conditioning

A little preparation goes a long way toward a comfortable, safe, and energy-efficient Thanksgiving. By scheduling a tune-up, changing filters, optimizing thermostat settings, improving airflow, and taking basic safety steps, you can focus on enjoying time with family and friends.