Tis The Season, For Plumbing Problems!
Holiday plumbing problems can easily erupt when the house is filled with friends and family. Preparing your pipes for a holiday visit can prevent a plumbing catastrophe.
They can strike when least expected, and in an instant turn your home into a nightmare. It might be Thanksgiving morning when the upstairs toilet starts to gurgle, or your parents could walk in to find their bathtubs overflowing. No matter when they strike, you need to know how to handle these scenarios. Here are some tips below for preventing holiday plumbing problems:
- Address any plumbing problems you know of ASAP…
If you’re already struggling with a slow drain, a toilet that keeps running, or a leaky shower faucet, call a plumber to take care of it before you host any overnight guests. Your peace of mind will be worth it.
- Limit what goes down your kitchen drains.
To prevent bad smells, jammed garbage disposal, or a clogged sink, be mindful of what goes down your drains when preparing and cleaning up after a holiday feast.
To prevent grease, oil, and fat from solidifying in your pipes, dispose of these substances directly into the garbage.
Keep fibrous veggies, potatoes, bones, pasta, rice, and coffee grounds out of your garbage disposal.
As grease and oil cool, they harden and can create blockages. Potato skins and potatoes are full of starches. Starches act like glue when they go through plumbing lines and stick inside the pipes. Even worse, these things can end up in the garbage disposal. There will be leftover grease, oil, and potatoes in the disposal that can cause it to stick and cause the motor to burn out.
After washing dishes, run hot water down your kitchen drain for at least 30 seconds. This can prevent grease remnants from forming clogs.
- Keep a wastebasket by the toilet.
Even if you remember that nothing should go down the toilet but “number one,” “number two,” and toilet paper, your guests might not know never to flush anything else. Prevent guests from using your toilet as a wastebasket by providing a real one for things like tissues, floss, and hygiene products.
Some items to steer clear of flushing include:
- Wipes
- Cotton swabs
- Feminine hygiene products
- Garbage
- Chewing gum
- Paper towels
- Let guests know if your toilet has low flush pressure.
Because of their age or low-flow design, some toilets are not able to flush as much material as other toilets. To avoid embarrassing clogs, warn guests if your toilet has a “finicky flush.” In case anyone forgets, post a holiday-themed sign in your bathroom as a cute and simple reminder.
- Prepare the pipes
Make sure to have your plumber wrap and insulate any pipes in any crawl space or exposed wall to avoid this problem. It is also beneficial to wrap and insulate pipes under sinks as an added precaution.
- Have adequate hot water
With a house full of guests, your water heater can be strained to keep up with hot water demands. Running out of hot water is never good. Have your plumber check your water heater settings to make sure they are set to accommodate the number of people in the home and keep up with hot water demand.
- Be Kind to Your Dishwasher
Scrape off excess food from dirty dishes. You don’t have to rinse the dishes and waste any water before loading the dishwasher. However, you do need to remove larger particles of food from the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
Ensure that your Holiday celebrations are problem-free and schedule your preventative inspection today. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best this holiday season.
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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