Welcome to the November issue, where the only thing we want stuffed is the turkey, not the drains. Inside: how to get the house ready for guests, keep the kitchen calm on the big day, protect your plants from the first frost, and keep everyone comfortable without fighting over the thermostat. We also have a quick update on two HVAC changes from this year that are worth knowing before you repair or replace a system.
Lead story
Hosting Headquarters: Getting the House Guest-Ready
Thanksgiving lands on Thursday, November 26 this year, and whether you are hosting the whole family or a few neighbors, a little prep now saves a lot of scrambling later. Think of it as setting the table for the house itself.
Start where guests will actually walk. Clear the path from the driveway to the front door, make sure porch and walkway lights work, and tuck away hoses and decorations that could trip someone after dark. Inside, add a night light or two in hallways and bathrooms, since visitors don't know your floor plan at 2 a.m. A non-slip mat in the guest shower and a sturdy chair near the entry where people can sit to take off shoes are small, thoughtful touches, especially when grandparents and toddlers share the same house.
For the guest room, wash the bedding, clear a drawer, and check that the ceiling fan and window coverings work. If the room sat closed off all summer, open the door and the supply vent a few days ahead so it feels like the rest of the house. Snowbirds, welcome back! If you are just opening the house, run every faucet, flush each toilet and check under sinks for drips before the company arrives.
- Test porch, walkway and entry lights
- Add night lights in hallways and the guest bathroom
- Open the guest room door and vent a few days early
- Set out a list of the wifi name and the house's quirks
In the kitchen
The Turkey Should Be the Star, Not the Smoke Alarm
According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home cooking fires. The good news is that most of the fixes are simple habits. Stay in the kitchen while anything is frying, grilling or broiling, and if you step away even briefly, turn the burner off. For roasting, baking and simmering, stay home and set a timer as a reminder to check on things.
Keep oven mitts, towels, paper packaging and wooden spoons a safe distance from the stovetop. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, slide a lid over it, turn off the burner and leave the lid on until it cools. Never pour water on a grease fire. For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed. If a fire grows, get everyone out, close the door behind you and call 911 from outside.
Planning ahead for the bird? The USDA's safe thawing guidance is about 24 hours in the refrigerator for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a big turkey may need to go in the fridge several days before Thursday. Running behind? Thaw it in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes, and allow about 30 minutes per pound. Fire safety groups including the NFPA discourage home turkey fryers. If you use one anyway, keep it outdoors on a flat surface well away from the house, never on a porch or in the garage, and make sure the turkey is fully thawed and dry.
- Test smoke alarms before the big day
- Keep a pan lid nearby for small stovetop flare-ups
- Turn the range hood fan on when you cook
Around the house
Gobble Gobble, Not Glug Glug: Drains and Disposals
A full house means more dishes, more showers and more trips to the bathroom, all in a few days. Your plumbing will be grateful for a little kindness. The big one: don't pour grease, fat or oil down the drain, even with hot water. It cools and sticks to pipes. Let it cool in a can or jar, then toss it in the trash.
Go easy on the garbage disposal, too. Stringy and starchy scraps like potato peels, celery, onion skins and corn husks can tangle the blades or clog the line, so scrape most of the plate into the trash or compost first. Run cold water while the disposal is on, and feed it a little at a time instead of a whole platter.
If guests are staying overnight, space out showers when you can so the water heater has time to recover. And take one minute this week to find your home's main water shutoff valve and make sure you can turn it. If a pipe or toilet supply line ever lets go, knowing where that valve is will be the thing you are most thankful for.
Yard & landscape
Frost Is Coming to Dinner, So Set a Place for It
Here is something we are grateful for: desert winters are mild. They are not frost-free, though. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension notes that the average first frost in Maricopa County falls between late November and mid-December depending on where you live, with outlying areas tending to get it earlier than central Phoenix. That means frost cloth season is just around the corner.
When a cold night is in the forecast, cover tender plants such as young citrus, bougainvillea, lantana and frost-sensitive succulents with frost cloth or an old sheet, not plastic. Drape the cover all the way to the ground so it traps the warmth rising from the soil. Remove covers in the morning once things warm up, since leaving them on for days can do more harm than good. Plants that are well watered handle cold better than thirsty ones, so a normal watering a day or two ahead of a cold snap helps.
If something does get nipped, resist the urge to prune it right away. The damaged leaves help shield the rest of the plant from the next cold night. Wait until new growth appears in spring, then trim back to healthy wood. Citrus lovers, take heart: many varieties ripen through the winter, so plan to enjoy the harvest over the coming months.
- Gather frost cloth, clothespins and a few stakes
- Cover tender plants all the way to the ground on frost nights
- Uncover in the morning once the air warms
Yard & landscape
Give Thanks to Your Irrigation Timer (Then Turn It Down)
Cooler days mean your landscape needs much less water than it did all summer. The Water - Use It Wisely program recommends watering deeply but infrequently in winter and letting soil dry between waterings. Overwatering in early winter can push out tender new growth that is more easily damaged by frost, and soggy soil is hard on roots.
As a general guide from the program, desert trees like palo verde, mesquite and acacia usually need a good soaking only about once a month in winter, and many other trees every two to four weeks. Cacti that go without water for a while before cold weather tend to hold up better in a freeze. If you overseeded with ryegrass this fall, established rye typically needs water every week to 10 days now and even less in December and January.
There is a bonus reason to trim winter watering: many Valley cities base part of the following year's residential sewer charge on how much water you use in the winter months. Check with your city or water provider to see how it works for your address. While you are at the controller, look for broken heads, puddles and soggy spots that point to a hidden leak.
Comfort corner
Keeping the Peace at the Thermostat
Every family gathering has one: the guest who is too warm and the guest who wants a sweater. Here is the secret. A hot oven, a busy stovetop and a house full of people all add heat, so by dinner time your home may be warmer than the thermostat expected. Lower the heat setting a degree or two before guests arrive and let the crowd and the cooking do some of the work. It is easier to warm up a room than to cool down a dining table full of overheated relatives.
Moving furniture for extra seating? Keep supply vents and return grilles clear, since a buffet table or folding chairs pushed against a return can starve the system of air. Run the range hood while you cook to carry steam and cooking odors out. If you have a heat pump, the thermostat may show auxiliary heat on cold mornings, which is normal backup heat. Emergency heat is a manual setting meant for when the heat pump itself isn't working, so leave it off unless a technician says otherwise.
Finally, swap the air filter before company comes. If the heat won't come on, smells like burning plastic, or cycles on and off constantly, turn it off and call for a heating check. A fall tune-up is a nice way to make sure the system is ready before your first cold night, and our recent post on stuffy or uneven fall rooms has more comfort tips.
HVAC news
What's New in HVAC: A Refrigerant Rule Change and a Tax Credit That Ended
R-410A systems can still be installed, for now. Under the EPA's AIM Act Technology Transitions rule, newly manufactured home AC and heat pump systems have had to move to lower-impact refrigerants such as R-454B and R-32, and the original rule set a January 1, 2026 deadline for installing split systems built from older R-410A components. In May 2026 the EPA finalized a revision that removes that installation deadline for qualifying residential and light commercial split systems built from R-410A components manufactured or imported before January 1, 2025. The change took effect on July 27, 2026, and those leftover units can be installed until existing supplies run out. Industry groups including AHRI have since challenged the revision in federal court, so the details could still change.
What it means for you: if you have an R-410A system today, nothing changes. It can still be repaired and serviced. If you are shopping for a replacement, you may be offered either a remaining R-410A unit or a newer system that uses R-454B or R-32. Both can be good choices. Ask which refrigerant a system uses and how that affects future service, and we are always happy to talk through the options on an honest repair-versus-replace visit.
The federal home improvement tax credit has ended. The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (often called 25C), which covered part of the cost of qualifying heat pumps, central air conditioners and furnaces, applied to equipment placed in service through the end of 2025, according to the IRS. Equipment installed in 2026 doesn't qualify, so don't count on that credit when budgeting for a new system. Utility programs change from year to year, so check your electric utility's website for any current rebates before you buy.
Sources: ACHR News, ABC Newsline, IRS
Quick checklist
The Grateful Homeowner's November To-Do List
Pick a pleasant morning, pour a cup of coffee and work through these. Not one of them involves a ladder or the roof.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries as needed
- Replace the HVAC air filter before guests arrive
- Clear walkways and check porch and entry lights
- Add night lights in hallways and the guest bathroom
- Find the main water shutoff valve and make sure it turns
- Keep a jar handy for cooled cooking grease
- Gather frost cloth and note which plants are frost-tender
- Cut back irrigation run times for winter
- Clean the dryer lint screen after every load
Before you go
We're Thankful for You
Thank you for reading and for welcoming us into your home, your inbox and your neighborhood. From our family to yours, happy Thanksgiving. We hope your table is full, your kitchen stays calm and the only thing that breaks is the wishbone.
If your heat isn't keeping up with the cooler nights, give us a call at 833-692-9776 (833-MyAZPro). Looking for more tips between issues? Visit the My AZ Pro blog, where new posts go up every Monday and Saturday, including our recent guide to storing decorations and outdoor lights. You can also browse our FAQ. The next issue of The My AZ Pro Monthly arrives December 1.