The guest room runs cold. The hot water runs out halfway through your usual morning routine. And you still haven’t swapped out that dining room light. Which one should you deal with before company comes?
Start with the things that have stopped working the way they used to. Here’s how to sort out which heating, water heater, electrical, and generator issues deserve a call now and which projects can go on the January list.
Heating: Schedule a repair if your home won’t stay warm
Fix before the holidays: If your furnace, boiler, or heat pump can’t reach the temperature you set or keeps shutting off unexpectedly, schedule a heating repair. If it’s just the guest room that feels cold, start by checking whether furniture or a rug is blocking a vent. If the room still won’t warm up, tell your technician whether it’s the only room affected.
What can wait: If your heat is working normally, book your routine furnace service & clean for a day that works with your holiday schedule.
Water heaters: Call if hot water runs out sooner than usual
Fix before the holidays: If a shower that used to stay hot now turns lukewarm halfway through, call for water heater service. Tell us whether the water starts out cooler than usual or starts hot and runs out quickly. That gives your technician a better idea of what to look into.
What can wait: If your water heater handles your normal routine and you’re expecting a houseful for a weekend, try spacing out showers and running laundry later. You can revisit a tankless water heater upgrade after the holidays.
Electrical: Take care of outlets and lights you’ll rely on
Fix before the holidays: If the outdoor outlet you use for Christmas lights has stopped working or a breaker keeps tripping, call an electrician. If you usually come in through the garage, take a quick look at the front steps after dark. A porch light that’s out is easy to miss until guests are using that entrance.
What can wait: If your dining room light works and you just want a different style, save the fixture upgrade for January.
Whole-house generators: Follow up on a fault or missed test cycle
Fix before the holidays: If your standby generator is showing a fault or hasn’t been running its usual test cycle, schedule generator service before you need it during an outage.
What can wait: If you’re still deciding whether to install a whole-house generator, start with a list of what you’d want powered during an outage, such as your heat, refrigerator, or sump pump. That gives you a starting point for an estimate whenever you’re ready.
Need to cross something off your list? Brandt’s Heating, Cooling & Electrical serves Kokomo and nearby communities. Call 765-560-0258 to schedule heating, water heater, electrical, or generator service.
