Now that the holiday season has arrived, you may be looking forward to family gatherings and extra guests in your home. While spending time with family and friends can help bring you comfort and joy during the holidays, it can also put some additional stress on your home’s plumbing system.
Nobody wants to think about having a plumbing emergency while their home is full of guests. Fortunately, there are a few measures you can take to help ensure your plumbing runs smoothly, helping you and your loved ones stay in the holiday spirit! Below, we’re sharing some tips that will help ensure plumbing problems won’t put a damper on your festivities.
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Five Tips to Keep Your Plumbing Working Smoothly
As we mentioned above, a house full of guests means added stress on your plumbing system. The tips below can help keep plumbing emergencies at bay and are good practice not just during the holidays, but all year long.
1. Cooking Grease
Chances are, during the holiday season you’ll be doing some extra cooking – and that means you’ll likely have some grease that’s left behind. While the temptation is there to dump the grease down your kitchen sink – don’t do it! Once it cools, grease, cooking oil, and animal fat can all solidify in your pipes and cause a blockage – which can lead to slow drains or worse, a burst pipe. Better options are to either collect hot grease in a designated can and discard it when full or wait for grease to solidify in the pan and scrape it into your garbage.
2. Garbage Disposal
Waste from your holiday feast can wreak havoc on your garbage disposal. Items that you should never put down the disposal include bones, stringy fruits and vegetables (such as celery, carrots, pumpkin or squash shells, and corn husks), and eggshells. Bones can dull or even break your blades, and larger ones can get caught in the disposal and cause the motor to burn out. The skins and peels of fibrous fruits and vegetables can wind themselves around the blades and keep them from turning. And, eggshells can pass through your disposal but are ground into a chalk-like substance that will eventually clog your drain. So, make sure to throw these items into the trash can.
3. Guest Shower & Bath
If you have family or friends coming for an extended stay over the holidays, your guest bath will likely be put to more use than usual. If you don’t use your guest bathroom often, check and make sure all your drains are emptying properly and that faucets and fixtures are in good working order. It’s far better to discover a problem that might need a plumber’s assistance before your guests arrive.
4. Toilets
Like your guest bath, make sure to check your guest bathroom toilet to make sure it is working properly as well. Have garbage cans available for waste (such as diapers, wipes, and personal products.) Let your guests know what can safely be flushed – and what can’t be. Make sure there is a plunger on hand in the guest bathroom in case of any clogs.
5. Laundry Room
It goes without saying – when you have holiday guests, you’re going to have extra laundry. Sheets, towels, tablecloths, and napkins all will end up in your washing machine. Keep your pipes in good working order by following the manufacturer’s instructions on your washing machine. Don’t try to stuff too much laundry in at a time and use the recommended type of detergent for your machine and your water type. Also, you may want to minimize the amount of liquid fabric softener you use, or use dryer sheets, as the liquid leaves behind sediment that can build up and clog pipes.
If you need any help with your plumbing, you can count on Trademasters.
At Trademasters, we understand that plumbing emergencies can happen at any time – even on the holidays. We’re available to help 24/7. Our licensed plumbers will arrive on time and leave your homeclean and can help with any type of plumbing service or repair. Simply give us a call at (703) 644-6400 and we will be glad to assist you.
