If you’re hosting a holiday gathering, you’ll likely clean every inch of the house, put up festive decorations, and check every item off your shopping list to ensure everything is just right.
But what about your home’s plumbing system? Is it ready to handle all the extra guests and food? If not, you could be setting yourself up for an untimely plumbing emergency that can quickly bring the festivities to a screeching halt.
By following a few simple plumbing tips, you can ensure that your holiday season is fun, joy-filled, and worry-free.
- Address Existing Problems
If you’ve noticed that your kitchen sink is draining slowly or your bathroom faucet is dripping, don’t wait until after the holidays to address the issue. Your plumbing system is likely going to get far more use than normal, so minor problems can quickly become serious issues. Have your plumbing system inspected by a professional to ensure that it can handle the extra holiday traffic.
- Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
Keep kitchen traffic to a minimum to make it easier to prepare food, clean up, and prevent costly mishaps. Guests trying to help with clean-up could accidentally send food scraps down the drain or garbage disposal, causing a nasty clog. Taking control of your kitchen will help prevent such accidents from happening.
- Use the Disposal Properly
Turn the disposal on before you toss food into it, then turn on the faucet to allow the drain to fill with water before putting any food waste in. Keep the water running for a few extra seconds to clear the drain. Also, avoid putting the following food into the disposal as it can jam the motor and cause a clog.
- Cooking oils and grease
- Fibrous or stringy foods
- Rice, pasta, or bread-based products
- Eggshells
- Animal bones
- Properly Dispose of F.O.G
You should never pour leftover fat, oil, or grease (F.O.G.) down a drain. Once F.O.G cools or comes in contact with cold water, it solidifies in pipes and restricts the flow of water. It can also cause other food scraps to bind to it and lead to a major clog. Instead, wipe F.O.G. off your cookware and dishes with a paper towel and throw it away or collect cooled oil into a metal can and once the can is full, toss it in the trash.
- Wait to Use the Dishwasher
In most homes, the dishwasher and garbage disposal share a drain, so running both at the same time could result in food scraps mixing into your dish wash cycle. Instead, wait to start a load of dishes until you’re finished using the garbage disposal to keep the drains clear and water flowing freely.
- Wait 15 Minutes Between Showers
If you’re hosting overnight guests during the holidays, or any time of the year, space out the time between showers to about 15 minutes. This not only allows your water heater to replenish the hot water supply, but also gives your drains an opportunity to clear out.
- Know What to Flush
This may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes we can all use a reminder, especially over the holidays when bathrooms experience a heavier flow of traffic than usual. Avoid flushing anything other than toilet paper. This includes wipes, feminine hygiene products, tissues, cotton swabs and balls, paper towels, and cigarettes.
At Blau Sudden Service, we know that even with the best of care, sometimes plumbing problems simply can’t be avoided. That’s why we’re standing by to handle all your plumbing needs every day of the year, including holidays. If you experience a plumbing emergency this holiday season, contact Blau for the prompt, professional, and courteous service you can depend on.