The holiday season is upon us and for many that means their plumbing is going to get more use than usual.
Holiday get-togethers, college students returning home for break, and end of year vacation days means more people are in your house during the month of December. And with all these extra people comes extra flushes, extra showers, extra meal prep, and extra laundry.
What can you do to prepare your plumbing for the holidays and avoid problems that could put a damper on your happy holiday?
Don’t Let Holiday Cooking Clog Your Drain
If you’re hosting a holiday gathering or two, chances are you’ll be in the kitchen doing some cooking. And as tempting as it might be to make cleanup easier by draining grease down your drain or dumping leftovers into the garbage disposal, you’re better off using your trash bin.
Cooking grease from turkey, ham, and other holiday meats can cause serious clogs in your drain, and before you know it you’ll be dealing with an emergency sink clog. The same is true for flushing food down the toilet. Just don’t do it. It might be a little messier to empty food into a garbage can, but it’s well worth the effort of a trek out to the trash bins in the bitter winter cold.
Make Sure Guests Know What’s Flushable
It might seem rude to point out what guests should and shouldn’t do in your bathroom, but when it comes to flushing unflushables, you’re better off issuing a reminder.
Anything that isn’t human waste or toilet paper needs to stay out of your toilet. This includes diapers, dental floss, feminine hygiene products, and so-called “flushable” wipes.
If you aren’t comfortable flat-out telling guests what they cannot flush (and who would want to have this conversation?), hang a sign in your bathroom gently reminding guests how to avoid flushing frustration.
Be Proactive
It might seem a little excessive, but if you’ll be hosting a lot of people this holiday season, it wouldn’t hurt to call in a plumber in advance for some proactive preparation. They can check the problem areas in your home and put your mind at ease with the plumbing.
Of course, this doesn’t guarantee nothing will go wrong, but it can help you prevent problems that are already brewing. If an issue is identified, you can get the repair done before you need to worry about the added stress on your plumbing.
If you need assistance preparing your plumbing for the upcoming holiday season or you find yourself dealing with a holiday plumbing emergency, give us a call!