The holiday season is just around the corner. Many are looking forward to welcoming their closest family and friends to their homes. However, there are several problems that can put a damper on your festive get-together. Household plumbing disasters during the holidays can be a real headache.
Common Holiday Plumbing Disasters
The increased workload on the pipes often results in holiday plumbing disasters. While you are busy preparing for the holidays, you might run into these problems.
- Clogged Drain – Many homeowners experienced drain clogs during the holidays. The kitchen sink gets plenty of activities and gets used more. Grease, soap scum, grease, and food scraps can clog the kitchen drain. Aside from stringy foods, starchy foods can turn into paste inside the drain, causing a clog.
- Broken Garbage Disposal – Loading up your garbage disposal with too many food scraps and putting down the wrong types of food is not good for your garbage disposal system. Animal bones, eggshells, celery stalks, and fruit pits can affect the efficiency of its blades.
- Clogged Toilet – Increased bathroom activities can also cause a clogged toilet. Some guests, especially the children, might flush down baby wipes, facial tissues, and even sanitary napkins into the toilet bowl.
- Malfunctioning Water Heater – A working water heater is extremely necessary during the holidays, especially if there are guests staying over in your house. Most water heater problems are caused by corrosion, condensation buildup, broken drain valve, and too much pressure in the tank. Some of the common signs of water heater failure include popping noise, leaking water tank, and lack of hot water.
- Backed Up Showers – Overnight guests need to take a shower before going to bed. Using a considerable amount of water and showering in sequence could cause water to back up from the drain.
- Burst Pipes – The freezing temperature during the holiday season causes the pipes to freeze. When the water inside the pipe freezes, it expands and increases pressure inside the pipe. The pressure buildup can eventually cause the pipe to burst.
Holiday Plumbing Disaster Prevention Tips to Keep in Mind
The holiday season is when we look forward to many wonderful surprises, from gifts to festive events. No one certainly wants to experience a plumbing disaster, especially if you invite your family and friends to celebrate the holiday with you.
Luckily, you can avoid the nightmare of a clogged toilet or shower and keep your home pipe system in good shape with these quick and straightforward plumbing 101 tips.
- Know Where to Locate the Shutoff Valve
Some issues are not emergency plumbing problems, but it can escalate into disasters if you do not act on it quickly by shutting them down. If you’re dealing with a running toilet or a burst pipe, make sure to locate the shutoff valve and turn off the water supply. Not only it helps temporarily stop the problem, giving you time to call a local emergency plumber.
- Keep Your Home Warm
Having a heating system in your home does not only keep your guests warm and comfortable but also keep your pipes from being frozen. Set the temperature to 50°F to keep the pipes warm and prevent the water from freezing inside.
Other helpful and cost-effective ways to prevent the pipe from freezing include:
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- Letting the faucet drip slightly to relieve the pressure in the pipe
- Applying heating tape to supply heat directly to the pipe
- Adding extra insulation on pipes located in the basement and attic
- Sealing up cracks and holes using caulk or spray foam insulation in areas where the pipes run through walls and floors
- Use a Drain Strainer
Drain strainers help catch food scraps, hair, and other particles that are not meant to go down the pipes. They come in different styles and can be easily purchased at the kitchen, hardware, and dollar stores. You can easily remove and clean them after each use. A reliable drain strainer might be a small investment, yet it can save you from a costly sink plumbing repair.
- Be Careful What You Flush Down Your Toilet
The best plumbing tips for the toilet you will ever hear is to never treat your toilet as a trash bin. Certain items, such as diapers, cotton balls, feminine hygiene products, and wet wipes, are better off in the waste bin. Flushing these items into the toilet does cause not only clogs but also toilet backup.
- Never Overwhelm the Garbage Disposal
While garbage disposal is extremely useful during the holidays, keep in mind that it cannot handle everything that you put down into it. Never throw items like kitchen scraps, such as bones, stringy and starchy foods (celery stalks and potato peels), coffee grounds, and eggshells, into the garbage disposal system as it can damage the blades. Simply throw these items away in your garbage bin.
- Prepare Your Garbage Disposal
Your sink’s garbage disposal gets used more frequently than normal during the holidays. Make sure to run cold water for 15 to 20 seconds through the disposal before and after throwing food scraps. Check if it is functioning properly before putting anything down the drain. Run warm water while grinding the food scraps to help wash out the waste, clean its blade, and clear the pipe.
Why You Should Never Resort in DIY Plumbing When a Problem Arises
DIY plumbing is never a good idea. Fixing a plumbing problem is a tricky job. Even the smallest mistake could lead to serious problems. Most plumbing issues are best left to licensed plumbers for proper diagnosis and repair. You may think that DIY fixes can help you save money, but you could end up spending more due to your lack of technical know-how. The cost of repairing a clogged drain by yourself may not be worth your effort. You may have some basic plumbing knowledge, but plumbers have years of experience and skills in diagnosing and fixing different problems; hence, ensuring you a long-term solution to your plumbing issue. Hiring a plumber in King City can get the job done quickly and correctly, saving you from future plumbing problems and hundreds of dollars in the long run.
If a plumbing disaster does occur, the Plumbing Authority can provide you with fast and reliable emergency plumbing solutions to ensure that you get to enjoy the holiday festivity with your friends and family. We serve King City, Newmarket, and the surrounding areas.
Do not hesitate to reach us for expert solutions, whatever plumbing problem you may have. Allow us to take care of plumbing inspection, maintenance, and drain cleaning 24/7. Call us today at (647) 992-PIPE (7473) for a free on-site estimate.