Your plumber values the integrity of the plumbing systems in your home and is aware that it is an afterthought for most, especially during the holidays. However, we urge you to read about these common holiday plumbing disasters, so you know what to look for and how to avoid them. What may seem like a minor leak or clog is magnified when you are expecting friends and family during the Holiday season.
Common Holiday Plumbing Disasters
The 5 most common Holiday Plumbing Disasters are clogged kitchen Sinks, no hot water, a malfunctioning dishwasher, clogged toilets, and frozen pipes. Here are a few tips to avoid plumbing disasters this holiday season:
Clogged Kitchen Sink – The biggest offender of a kitchen sink clog is grease. While it seems logical to pour grease into your drain or garbage disposal because it’s a liquid, this doesn’t mean you should do it. The grease may harden and end up clogging your whole drain. To prevent a Holiday clog, we recommend that you first let the grease harden before you dump it in your trash.
No Hot Water – If you have guests coming to your home this holiday season and you have recently discovered you are running out of water sooner than you may be used to, it may be because of sediment in your water tank. To fix this, call a plumber to flush the unit to clear the debris. If your water heater is ten years old or more, it may also be time to replace it. You should consider a tankless water heater replacement before the Holiday season.
Malfunctioning Dishwasher – A dishwasher gets a lot of extra use during the holidays, from Thanksgiving dinner to Christmas lunch. If you experience a malfunction during this time, you may be spending precious hours washing dishes, pots, pans, and silverware from your holiday dinner. For starters don’t overload your dishwasher. An overload can lead to dishwasher leaks and other issues. Also, check to be sure your drain area is clear, and rinse off plates before loading them into the dishwasher.
Clogged Toilets – If you have a lot of guests or family over, it’s natural that the toilets in your household will be used more frequently—and it also increases the chances of a toilet mishap occurring. If you don’t already have a small trash can next to your toilets, place one there so your guests won’t try to flush things down the toilet that don’t belong there, including baby wipes and sanitary napkins. It is also a smart idea to keep a plunger by each toilet so your guest can take care of clogs without the embarrassment of calling for help.
Frozen Pipes – The holiday season brings cold weather to many areas. Cold weather means pipes can freeze and burst. You can prevent this from happening by adding insulation around your pipes, raising the temperature in your home, or keeping the water in your pipes moving by leaving a faucet on to drip.
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