It may be a bit of an eye opener to state, but the holidays are just around the corner. This means it’s the perfect time to prep your home for the occasion—start planning parties, do some winterization tasks around the home, and maintain your plumbing system! Yes, that’s right, when you have increased guests in your home, you want to think about your plumbing system, since it’s going to be getting a lot more use this time of the year.
In fact, one of the most common Olympia, WA emergency plumbing calls that professionals get is about clogged drains during this time of the year. Maintenance is the best way to prevent the biggest of plumbing emergencies, but there are also precautions you should take at home to help avoid certain issues.
Turn Up the Water Heater
While this is one of the more minor plumbing “problems” people experience during the holidays, it’s an inconvenience nonetheless. You want and need that hot water for cooking, cleaning, and bathing. With more guests to feed and entertain, this means your water heater is getting even more use. Turn up your tank water heater’s thermostat in order to maximize its capability and help the hot water last longer.
Keep Your Drains Clear
Clogged drains or a stopped up garbage disposal can turn into a very messy and detrimental problem, especially over the holidays. For instance, take Thanksgiving. This holiday obviously involves a fair amount of extra cooking and cleaning for the average American family. If this process is interrupted, your holiday meal can quickly turn into a trip to the closest restaurant.
To avoid this, and to protect both your garbage disposal and your kitchen sink drain, you should avoid putting certain items down the drain, such as excessive potato skins, fibrous veggies such as celery, and FOG (fats, oils, and grease). FOG is especially important—it hardens as it cools down, which means that the liquid you pour down the drain can quickly build up in a stubborn and hard to remove clog.
Avoid Toilet Blockages
You likely already have a wastebasket in your bathroom. Make sure it’s conveniently handy for holiday guests so that they can throw away any trash they may have on hand. You’d be surprised by the items that professional plumbers pull out of toilet drainpipes—particularly if it came from little kids who don’t know any better. Anything from food to paper plates can easily stop up your toilet drain.
Address Leaks
Minor leaks or drips can be pretty easy to ignore, but that doesn’t mean you should. Small problems can actually grow pretty rapidly, and thus turn into a large expense (and mess) for you. Even the smallest of leaks can waste gallons of water throughout the year if it’s not properly addressed. Additionally, leaks could be a sign of pipe corrosion, which should be repaired in order to prevent a ruptured pipe later on.
So, what if you think you have a leak, but are unsure? Can you just ignore it for now? Well, you could, but it’s almost always a mistake to wait on these things, particularly during the busy holiday season. You might quickly find yourself facing property damage if your leak is something like a slab leak. Leaks can’t always be prevented, but they can definitely be detected by our professionals, with the right tools and methods.
For expert plumbing services you can depend on, contact Brooks Plumbing Co. today!
