The holidays can be a workout…for your plumbing. When you think of all the fun activities that occur between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, the majority has to do with food and lots of guests.
This means your kitchen and bathrooms will be busy, which can also invite little problems to grow. Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to avoiding plumbing problems. Here are a few tips to help prevent any troubles with your plumbing during the holiday season:
- If it’s been a while since you’ve had a routine maintenance check, call a plumbing expert to check your system so he can clean any potential clogs and check for any minor issues that might become bigger problems when it’s not the most convenient time.
- Avoid putting fibrous foods down your garbage disposal like potato skins and celery, as well as fat scraps from meats. These can easily clog up your disposal. Your best bet would be to avoid using the disposal during high-volume food preparation.
- Avoid pouring fats or cooking oils down drains—use a container to pour the excess into and then dispose the container once it has cooled.
- If you do use your disposal, make sure it is running, along with the water, before putting food into it. Keep the water running for a short time after turning off the disposal to help flush the disposal.
- Remove things that might accidentally fall into the toilet, thus causing a clog (i.e., pill bottles, wash cloths, etc.).
- Make sure items such as cotton balls, cotton swabs, or cleansing wipes are not flushed down the toilet. Have a waste basket available for easy disposal and ask your guests to not flush these items.
Finally, know your do-it-yourself limits—projects that might seem small and easy can easily turn into something more difficult. Never be afraid to call a professional plumber to help, and don’t hesitate to ask the plumber up front about extra holiday service fees.