Avoid Holiday Plumbing Woes

Published on November 16, 2017

As the holidays near, you may be readying your home to host family or friends for an extended period of time. Amid the cleaning and meal preparations, don’t neglect to give some attention to your home’s plumbing system to avoid potential holiday plumbing disasters. Address current concerns now to avoid dealing with that embarrassing plumbing emergency with a house full of guests. If you know you have a clogged toilet or drain, garbage disposal issues or a water heater that won’t perform efficiently, have those concerns addressed by a professional plumber before your guests arrive.

Regarding the unwelcomed toilet clog, remember that the only things that should be flushed down your toilet are toilet paper and human waste! Your toilet can end up clogged by the use of too much toilet paper and from troublesome elements that find their way into the toilet and get flushed, such as sanitary napkins, baby wipes, cleaning wipes, cotton balls and paper towels, to name a few. If you’re having overnight guests, chances are somebody won’t follow the “toilet paper only rule” so you may utilize a bathroom sign with reminders of what not to flush.

Do you need to give your drains some seriously overdue attention? You likely rely on a basic drain cleaning product for when the bathtub is backing up or the kitchen sink will not drain but this short term solution often will not rectify the situation. Regular drain cleaning or an emergency drain cleaning when you first notice the back-up, can prevent your drains from getting clogged and creating dirty water and a odor that you would have to explain to those guests.

It’s essential to understand that your garbage disposal can only handle so much, and in many cases, it can’t handle many different types of foods and liquids. Consider what you’re putting in your garbage disposal and don’t treat it as a trash can after the big holiday meal is complete. Food items that should not be put in the garbage disposal include celery, potatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce, grease, oil, fat, bones, egg shells, pastas, rice and coffee. These types of items are difficult for the disposal blades to grind up and cause blockages in your drains. Always run cold water when you use your garbage disposal and include a small amount of dish soap when cleaning it.

If you’ve ignored your water heater maintenance, don’t be surprised if your house guests don’t get to enjoy the hottest of showers during their time at your home. Don’t forget that newer water heaters are more energy efficient, so if yours is more than 10-15 years old, it may be time to begin looking into a new one to ensure you don’t have that sudden burst of cold water for several days in a row. And if you’ve got a house full of guests, wait at least 15 minutes between showers to give time for hot water to replenish.

From drain cleaning to toilet, garbage disposal and water heater repair, call the Experts at 908-448-2154 if you’ve found any last minute plumbing issues that you don’t plan to put on your holiday guests!

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