Holiday Heating Tips: Keep Your Toronto Home Cozy This Season

The holiday season in Toronto means gatherings with family and friends, festive decorations, and the warmth of togetherness—literally. But hosting holiday celebrations while keeping everyone comfortable and your heating system running smoothly requires some thoughtful planning.

From managing temperature fluctuations with a house full of guests to preventing furnace emergencies during the busiest time of year, we've put together this practical guide to help you enjoy a warm, worry-free holiday season. These tips come straight from our experience helping Toronto homeowners through countless holiday seasons.

Adjusting Heat When Hosting Holiday Guests

More people in your home means more body heat—a lot more than you might think. Each person generates about 100 watts of heat, roughly equivalent to a light bulb. When you're hosting a gathering, this adds up quickly.

The Smart Temperature Strategy

Before guests arrive:

• Lower your thermostat by 2-3°C from your normal setting
• For a gathering of 10+ people, try dropping it to 18-19°C
• Do this 30-60 minutes before guests arrive so the initial temperature is comfortable

Why this works: Once 10-15 people fill your living areas, their combined body heat plus the warmth from cooking can raise room temperature by 3-5°C. If you start at your normal 21°C setting, your home can become uncomfortably warm for guests wearing holiday attire.

Bonus benefit: Your furnace runs less during the party, saving you money while keeping everyone comfortable.

Managing Different Zones

If you have a programmable or smart thermostat with zoning capabilities:

• Keep gathering areas (living room, dining room) cooler
• Maintain normal temperatures in bedrooms and less-used spaces
• This prevents guests from being too warm while keeping the rest of your home comfortable

Overnight Guests

Hosting family staying overnight? Remember:

• Guest rooms should be warmed to 19-20°C before arrivals
• Provide extra blankets—guests can always add layers if needed
• Slightly lower nighttime temperatures (17-18°C) save energy and most people sleep better in cooler rooms
• Ensure vents in guest rooms are fully open and unobstructed

Managing Heat from Holiday Cooking

Nothing says holidays like a kitchen full of activity—roasting turkey, baking cookies, simmering soups. But all that cooking generates significant heat that can throw off your home's temperature balance.

The Kitchen Heat Effect

A busy kitchen with oven, stovetop, and multiple appliances running can add 5-10°C to that room's temperature. This heat spreads throughout your home, especially in open-concept layouts common in Toronto homes.

Smart Strategies

Before major cooking sessions:

• Lower thermostat by 1-2°C
• Turn on kitchen exhaust fan to vent some heat outside
• Open a window slightly if cooking for extended periods (weather permitting)

During cooking:

• Use range hood to exhaust heat and moisture
• Keep oven door closed—opening it repeatedly releases heat into the room
• Consider using slow cookers or instant pots which generate less ambient heat

After big meals: Your home may feel quite warm from cooking and gathering. Resist the urge to open multiple windows—this forces your furnace to work hard reheating the space later. Instead, just lower the thermostat and let temperature naturally decrease.

Fireplace and Furnace: Getting Them to Play Nice

A crackling fireplace creates perfect holiday ambiance, but it can interfere with your furnace's efficiency if not managed properly.

The Fireplace Problem

Fireplaces, especially traditional wood-burning ones, pull air from your home to feed the fire and send it up the chimney. This air has to be replaced from somewhere—usually cold air leaking in from outside, making your furnace work harder.

Surprising fact: A typical wood-burning fireplace can pull 200-600 cubic feet of heated air per minute from your home. That's expensive holiday ambiance!

Coordination Strategies

For wood-burning fireplaces:

• Lower your thermostat by 2-3°C when using the fireplace
• Close doors to rooms far from the fireplace to prevent heat loss from those areas
• Crack a nearby window 1-2 inches to provide combustion air (prevents pulling heated air from the rest of your home)
• Always close the damper when fireplace isn't in use—an open damper is like leaving a window open

For gas fireplaces:

• Modern sealed-combustion gas fireplaces are much more efficient
• Still lower thermostat by 1-2°C to prevent overheating the room
• Use the fireplace thermostat (if equipped) to maintain steady temperature

Smart thermostat tip: Set up a "fireplace mode" on your smart thermostat that automatically lowers heat when you activate the fireplace.

Preventing Dry Air During Toronto Winters

Toronto's cold winter air holds very little moisture. When heated indoors, this creates desert-like conditions that cause:

• Dry, itchy skin and chapped lips
• Irritated sinuses and respiratory issues
• Increased static electricity
• Damage to wooden furniture and flooring
• Guests feeling less comfortable

Holiday-Specific Humidity Strategies

Ideal indoor humidity: 30-40% during winter months. Below 30% is uncomfortably dry; above 45% can cause condensation and mold issues.

Natural humidity boosters during holidays:

• Cooking and baking naturally add moisture to the air
• Fresh Christmas trees release moisture as they dry
• More people in your home means more moisture from breathing

When you need extra help:

• Whole-home humidifier: Best long-term solution, integrated with your furnace ($300-800 installed)
• Portable humidifiers: Good temporary solution for gathering spaces ($50-150)
• Houseplants: Natural humidifiers that add festive greenery
• Water bowls on radiators: Old-fashioned but effective in a pinch

Don't overdo it: Too much humidity causes window condensation, which can freeze on Toronto's coldest nights, damaging window seals. If you see condensation, reduce humidity levels.

Emergency Preparedness During the Holidays

Furnace breakdowns don't take holidays off—in fact, they often happen during holidays when systems are working hardest. Plus, Toronto's HVAC companies are typically short-staffed between December 23 and January 2.

Be Prepared Before Emergencies Strike

Keep these essentials on hand:

• Space heater (safely rated, modern model with tip-over protection)
• Extra blankets and warm clothing
• Flashlight and batteries
• Your HVAC company's emergency number saved in your phone
• Backup contact for second HVAC company

If Your Furnace Fails During the Holidays

Immediate steps:

1. Check thermostat batteries (surprisingly common cause)
2. Verify furnace circuit breaker hasn't tripped
3. Check if furnace filter is extremely dirty
4. Ensure furnace power switch (looks like a light switch near unit) is on

If these don't work:

1. Call your HVAC company's emergency line
2. Use space heaters safely (never use oven for heat)
3. Focus heating on one or two rooms
4. Keep interior doors open to bathrooms to prevent pipe freezing
5. If temperatures drop below 15°C and repairs will take time, consider relocating guests to a hotel

Preventing Frozen Pipes

If your furnace fails in Toronto's winter cold, frozen pipes become a serious risk within hours. Take these steps:

• Open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air circulation
• Let faucets drip slightly—running water doesn't freeze
• Focus space heater warmth near pipes if possible
• Never let indoor temperature drop below 13-15°C

The Pre-Holiday Furnace Check: Don't Skip This

The single most important thing you can do for holiday peace of mind is a pre-holiday furnace checkup. Here's why it matters:

The Holiday Stress Test

Your furnace faces unique demands during the holidays:

• Frequent temperature adjustments strain the system
• More door openings let in cold air, increasing furnace runtime
• Cooking heat causes furnace to cycle on and off more frequently
• Toronto's coldest weather often coincides with holiday season
• This is often peak usage season after months of operation

A furnace with minor issues might limp along under normal conditions but fail under holiday stress.

What a Pre-Holiday Check Should Include

Professional inspection (recommended):

• Clean or replace filter
• Test thermostat calibration
• Inspect heat exchanger for cracks
• Check burners and flame sensor
• Test safety controls
• Verify proper airflow
• Lubricate moving parts
• Check gas pressure and connections

DIY minimum checks (if you can't get professional service):

• Replace filter
• Test furnace startup and shutdown
• Check for unusual sounds
• Verify all vents are open and unobstructed
• Test thermostat at different settings
• Check carbon monoxide detectors

When to Schedule

Best time: Early to mid-November, before the holiday rush

Why not December? HVAC companies are busiest in December with emergency calls. Scheduling preventive maintenance in November ensures:

• Better availability and appointment times
• More thorough service (techs aren't rushed)
• Lower costs (no emergency rates)
• Time to address any issues found before holidays

Final Thoughts: Make Comfort Part of Your Holiday Tradition

The holidays are about creating warm memories—and that's a lot easier when your home is actually warm and comfortable. With a little planning and the right strategies, you can host gatherings, cook feasts, and enjoy festive ambiance without worrying about your heating system or energy bills.

Remember these key takeaways:

• Lower your thermostat when hosting—your guests will keep things warm
• Coordinate your fireplace use with your furnace for maximum efficiency
• Manage humidity to keep everyone comfortable
• Be prepared for emergencies with backup plans
• Most importantly, schedule that pre-holiday furnace check

Toronto winters are challenging enough without heating system surprises. Take care of your furnace now, and it will take care of you and your loved ones throughout the holiday season.

From all of us at Aire Master Heating and Cooling, we wish you and your family a warm, safe, and joyful holiday season!