Most people do not realize that the holidays are typically the busiest time of the year for plumbers. There are several plumbing issues that can happen: everything from clogged drains to frozen pipes, which can ruin the holiday festivities pretty quickly. Avoid the headache of messed up pipes and take advice from plumbers on how to take care of your plumbing during the Christmas and holiday season.
The first thing you want to do is prepare your disposal for the holiday meals that are about to meet it. When you host a large meal there will be a lot of meal prep and clean-up, which can clog and backup your disposal.
To keep your garbage disposal in good shape, clear it of debris and build-up by inserting two cups of ice cubes, a cup of rock salt, and running cold water through it. This mixture will help break up any stuck on sludge and help your unit run more smoothly. Plumbers also remind homeowners to always run your disposal unit only with cold water and to avoid pouring cooking oils or fats into the drain.
Company around the holiday – whether family, friends, colleagues or acquaintances – can put stress on your plumbing and cause clogged drains. Most homes have frequent visitors during the holidays, which means you will be using more water than you typically would. Having so many people using your facilities can push your plumbing to its limits and cause a major backup.
To avoid any Christmas emergencies, call Mister Plumber to perform basic plumbing maintenance procedures on all of the high-traffic bathrooms in the home. Also, ask guests to wait for roughly 15 minutes between showers to allow the showers and toilets to drain properly between each use.
One more thing you need to remember during the cold holiday season is to protect your pipes. It is extremely important to protect your plumbing lines during the cold weather by allowing faucets to drip, keeping the thermostat at the same temperature night and day, and keeping doors open to allow warm air to circulate. Protect against frozen pipes so no holiday disasters occur during the most wonderful time of the year.
Finally, in the event of a holiday emergency, make sure you have the number of a reliable plumber in your phone. What you don’t want to do is wait until the holiday season is over to tackle plumbing emergencies, says Fast Plumbers; they should be dealt with swiftly and decisively. To that end, find a plumber in your area that offers round the clock service – the quicker you can deal with an emergency, the less it will cost you.
This holiday season, you might have a full house: friends over for big meals, parties, or out of town family coming to stay for an extended period of time. The last thing you need during the season is a terrible plumbing disaster. Following these easy steps and advice from plumbers can help your gatherings remain hassle-free and holly jolly.
Here’s advice from This Old House on how to diagnose plumbing leaks:
