How To Prevent Plumbing Disasters This Holiday Season

Everyone loves the holiday season, but sometimes it leaves the homeowner hosting the gatherings with some bad plumbing issues. Think about your plumbing system for a second, let’s just say you have a family of 5, the toilets get flushed daily, the water is constantly being turned on and off, and the shower is used on a regular basis. But your home plumbing system is used to it, now, imaging ramping that up because now you have 15-20 additional guests in your home, and although they may not use the shower, they’ll definitely be using the restroom and the sink. That’s a whole lot of plumbing use in a span of 3-5 hours. Increasing the use of your plumbing that quickly can cause some issues, so here are 3 tips to help you prevent a major disaster.

1. Don’t Flush Baby Wipes Down Your Toilet

There are definitely two types of people when it comes to personal care. The toilet paper user and the baby wipe user. We get that companies that make some of these fantastic wipes claim that they’ve been “Tested By Plumbers” but, what plumber tested them? What did they test the wipes in? How big were these pipes? So many questions!!! Now, while baby wipes work great for babies and adults, we recommend not flushing them down your toilet. Take a look at what happens when you use baby wipes vs traditional toilet paper HERE. Our Rapid Response Team recommends that you stick with toilet paper since it disintegrates when flushed down the toilet, this will help prevent toilet clogs and can help you avoid having to call a plumber during your get together.

2. Don’t Throw Bones or Grease Down Your Kitchen Sink

We know that a lot of you are probably incredible cooks and we appreciate you for feeding your loved ones awesome food, so in order to have your night go as smooth as possible, make sure that you don’t throw bones or grease down your kitchen sink. Although throwing bones down your sink doesn’t seem like something a lot of people would do, it happens, especially if kids are around, they just want to get rid of their trash and go play – can you blame them – So a quick talk with them might work or you can set out a BIG trash can and let everyone know that this is where all the waste will be going. The other potential issue with a sink clog is pouring grease down your kitchen sink. Grease is one of the leading causes of drain clogs. You may think it’ll just wash away but grease sticks to pipes like glue. It coats the inside of your pipes making them sticky and bumpy, the bumps cause water to slow down which then causes food particles to get caught in the pipe. If you happen to get this type of clog, it only gets worse over time, since it makes the diameter of your pipes smaller and restricts water flow and pressure. Some other ways to get rid of grease are, collecting it in old jars, let it try out, then throwing it away. A lot of cities or towns have designated drop-off locations where you can dispose of the grease properly. Disposing of grease properly can help improve the longevity of your plumbing system.

3. Be Mindful When Using DIY Liquid Plumbing Cleaners

We’re not saying to use or not use these types of cleaners. All we’re saying is to be mindful if you choose to use DIY liquid plumbing cleaners. Over the last 10 years or so, research has shown that store-bought plumbing cleaners can damage your pipes, so people have switched over to gentler cleaners. Even though these types of liquid cleaners can help temporarily, it is very easy to overuse them. When using these cleaners too much, it can wear down the walls of your pipe and lead to leaks. Most liquid cleaners are meant to strip stuck-on materials off your pipes and if there isn’t any gunk in the pipe, it’ll start working directly on the pipe. They’ll eat away at your pipes much slower than harsh chemicals, but they can cause big damage over time. We recommend that if you’re going to use them, use them sparingly.

Olson Extra Tip: Fix Minor Plumbing Problem NOW

If you want to avoid huge plumbing problems, fix the small ones when they happen. Small problems like leaks can quickly turn into way bigger problems. Your whole plumbing system is all connected, so a small problem in one part of your home can lead to much bigger problems somewhere else in your home. A lot of these minor fixes are cost-effective as well. The bigger the problem, the more expensive it is to fix it. A lot of times homeowners freak out if they have an emergency because of the potential of additional cost, but our team here at Olsons Superior Plumbing NEVER charges emergency fees. It’s definitely tempting to put off smaller repairs but consistent maintenance can prevent plumbing nightmares from occurring in the future.

If you have any questions, call our 24/7 Rapid Response Team at 949-328-6002 or email us at [email protected] – If you want more information online, please visit us @https://www.OlsonSuperior.com

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