Somewhere between Halloween and Thanksgiving, Brevard County homes change jobs.
For most of the year a house on the Space Coast holds two or three people living their normal routine. Then the holidays arrive, and the same house suddenly holds grandparents in the guest room, cousins on the air mattress, a toddler who has never seen a pool cage, every burner on the stove running at once, and three extension cords feeding the lights along the eaves.
That is a very different load — on the electrical system, the plumbing, the safety devices and the people inside. And most of the problems that show up over the holidays were sitting there quietly in October.
Here is what is worth checking in the first half of November, while there is still time to fix anything you find.
Which Safety Devices Should Be Tested Before Guests Arrive?
Every smoke alarm, every carbon monoxide alarm, and the GFCI outlets — before anyone unpacks.
- Smoke alarms. Press the test button on each one, including the ones in guest bedrooms that nobody sleeps in the rest of the year. Check the date printed on the back: alarms have a service life, and an alarm past its replacement date should be replaced, not just given a fresh battery.
- Carbon monoxide alarms. If the home has any fuel-burning appliance — a gas range, gas water heater, gas dryer or fireplace — or an attached garage, CO alarms belong outside sleeping areas. Many Brevard homes are all-electric, but plenty are not, and a garage with a car idling in it counts.
- GFCI outlets. Kitchen counters, bathrooms, the garage, the lanai and outdoor outlets. Press TEST, confirm the power cuts off, then RESET. A GFCI that will not trip is not protecting anyone.
This is ten minutes of work, and it is the most important ten minutes on this list.
Why Does The First Heat Pump Run Of The Season Deserve Attention?
Because on the Space Coast, the heating side of your system has probably not run since last season.
Most Brevard homes heat with a heat pump, often with electric heat strips as backup. When the first cool mornings arrive and someone finally nudges the thermostat to HEAT, two things commonly happen:
- A brief dusty or burning smell. Dust that settled on the heat strips over the summer burns off the first time they energize. A short-lived smell that fades is typical. A smell that persists, gets stronger, or comes with a breaker tripping is not — turn the system off and have an HVAC contractor look at it.
- Tripped breakers or short cycling. Heat strips draw a heavy electrical load. A breaker that trips when the heat comes on is telling you something, and it is better to learn that on a quiet weekday than with a full house.
Run the heat once now, on purpose, and see what happens. Replace the air filter while you are there — a house full of guests is a lot of extra traffic for a filter that is already due.
What Gets Overloaded When The House Is Full?
The kitchen circuits, the dryer, and anything plugged into an extension cord.
- Kitchen circuits. Holiday cooking means the oven, stovetop, a slow cooker, an air fryer and a coffee maker running together. If a kitchen breaker trips repeatedly under that load, do not simply keep resetting it. Frequent tripping, warm outlet covers, or a burning smell at an outlet are reasons to call an electrician.
- The dryer vent. Extra guests mean extra laundry, and lint builds up in the vent run, not just the lint screen. If clothes take noticeably longer to dry, or the outside vent flap barely moves while the dryer runs, the vent needs cleaning. Lint in a restricted vent is a genuine fire concern.
- Extension cords and outdoor lights. Use cords rated for outdoor use outside, plug outdoor lighting into GFCI-protected outlets, and do not run cords under rugs or pinched in doors. A cord that feels warm is carrying more than it should.
- The electrical panel. If you open the panel door and see scorch marks, rust, or a breaker that feels hot, that is a finding for a licensed electrician before the holidays, not after.
How Do You Get A Florida Home Ready For Visiting Children?
Start at the pool, then walk the house at a child’s height.
Many holiday guests come from places where a backyard pool is not part of daily life, and their children are not used to one. Before they arrive:
- Check every door and gate that leads to the pool. Self-closing and self-latching hardware should actually close and latch on its own. Door alarms, if the home has them, should sound.
- Look at the screen enclosure. A torn panel or a screen door that no longer latches is an easy way through.
- Walk the house low. Stair and balcony railings with gaps, window blind cords, unsecured furniture, and a water heater set hot enough to scald all look different when you picture a three-year-old in the room.
What About The Plumbing And The Water Heater?
Expect it to work harder than it has all year, and give it a quick look before it has to.
More showers back to back will show you whether the water heater keeps up. Look at the base of the tank for rust or moisture, and check that the discharge pipe from the relief valve is in place and runs down toward the floor or outside. Run the guest bathroom that has been closed up since spring — flush the toilet, run every faucet and the shower, and look under the sink for drips. A slow leak in a room nobody uses can run unnoticed for months.
Take the next step. Ready to schedule your inspection? Call (321) 368-9921 or visit https://www.brevardhomeinspector.com/ today!
