Holiday Plumbing Tips: Preventing an Emergency
Season’s Greetings from Rooter Experts!
The holidays are a hectic time of year- full of shopping, baking, decorating, and celebrating- and the last thing you want is to call a plumber out to your house to deal with an emergency.
With that said, we would like offer you some tips to prevent a disaster and keep your plumbing operation during the Christmas season.
1) Make a List, and Check it Twice!
One of the biggest contributors to toilet clogs is an increased amount of usage. During the holidays, when relatives are in town and parties are being thrown, the toilet get used far more often than normal.
Go through your house and make a list of every appliance that may need preventative plumbing performed. Check for poor drainage, clogs, and leaks. You can do it yourself or hire a professional, but either way it is better to prevent a problem than have to fix it while your family unwraps presents.
2) Using the Garbage Disposal for Trash = Naughty List
Families do more cooking during the holidays, which can create more pressure to quickly whip out a big meal. Chefs take shortcuts, such as washing waste down the kitchen drain, rather than throwing it into the garbage can.
The problem is that animal fats, grease, and oil can congeal in the disposal causing backups and the blades to stop rotating. Make sure you properly dispose of these products.
Likewise, seasonal nuts are always a favorite, but the shells can damage garbage disposal blades. Put these in the trash or compost.
3) Beat the White Christmas with a Warm Shower
I know it rarely snows in Los Angeles, but that doesn’t change the fact that most people prefer a warm shower in the morning. With house guests, the hot water can get overworked and get cold quickly.
Along with staggering showers to maintain hot water, you should drain your tank before the season. Sediment builds up in the tank over time, so an occasional draining will remove it. This will optimize your water heater’s performance,
I Ho, Ho, Hope these plumbing tips keep your holidays full of peace and good cheer!