5 Tips to Avoid a Plumbing Emergency During the Holidays

Why Can Plumbing Emergencies Occur During the Holidays?

With so many friends and family around during the holidays, residential plumbing problems can occur due to more strain on your plumbing system. Toilets, sinks, and showers are used more frequently, and foreign objects may end up down the drain.

Plumbing emergencies can occur if you haven’t been maintaining your system throughout the year, or if your home has older pipes. Colder weather can also create additional stress, potentially leading to frozen pipes and waterlines that may burst.

How to Avoid a Plumbing Emergency During the Holidays

Nobody wants to deal with a plumbing emergency during the holidays. To avoid emergency repairs, consider the following tips for avoiding a plumbing emergency during the holidays.

     1. Consider Drain Cleaning Services

Regular plumbing maintenance should include drain cleaning services. If you haven’t been maintaining your plumbing system throughout the year, your drains may not be ready for the holiday season.

Since your drains will soon be consuming more than you think, you’ll need to do everything you can to prevent clogs and other issues. Consider investing in drain cleaning services ahead of time to keep them in functioning shape and get them ready for heavy use.

Once drain cleaning services are complete, consider installing a drain strainer in your sinks and showers to catch debris and prevent it from becoming lodged in your pipes. This will save you the trouble of unclogging the drain, allowing you to avoid a plumbing emergency during the holidays.

     2. Maintain Your Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal is an important kitchen appliance and will likely experience heavy use during the holidays. Unfortunately, with so many hands in the kitchen, certain foods and objects may be placed down into the disposal that shouldn’t be. This can lead to problems that may go unnoticed until a large clog or issue occurs.

Certain foods should not be placed down the garbage disposal, including:

• Fats, Oils, and Grease
• Fibrous Vegetables
• Vegetable Peels
• Eggshells
• Coffee Grounds
• Pasta

Be sure to inform your guests not to place these, as well as other bulky food items, down the drain. Your garbage disposal can only take on so much, and even a small amount of undesired food down the drain may create a problem. Instead, use a garbage can and dispose of waste appropriately.

     3. Be Mindful of Shower Timings

Your water heater is designed to provide a decent amount of hot water for your family members to use. Depending on the type of water heater you have—either tank or tankless—you might not have fully heated water for an extended amount of time.

Your water heater may struggle to keep up if:

• Multiple family members are showering at one time.
• Laundry washers or dishwashers are being used at the same time as people are showering.
• Family members are showering for an extended period of time without breaks in between.

To maintain a comfortable water temperature, request that each individual take a 15-minute break between showers so that your water heater can catch up. Avoid using appliances that rely on hot water at the same time so your guests can take advantage of comfortable water temperatures.

Spacing out showers will also help keep shower drains clear of a continuous stream of soap, water, and debris, helping to avoid clogs.

If your family frequently runs out of hot water, it may be time to invest in water heater repair or replacement services.

     4. Purchase Additional Garbage Cans

Another tip for avoiding plumbing emergencies during the holidays is to invest in additional garbage cans. Additional garbage cans in the kitchen and bathrooms can encourage family members to dispose of waste properly. This is especially important near the toilet to avoid clogs from certain objects.

Educate members of your family about what should and shouldn’t be placed down the toilet. Medications, floss, feminine products, diapers, “flushable” wipes, and other household products should never be put down the toilet. Instead, encourage the use of nearby garbage cans for these items.

     5. Keep Your Local Plumber’s Number on Hand

Though you may make every effort to avoid plumbing emergencies during the holidays, sometimes they happen anyway. For example, freezing pipes that burst are often a plumbing emergency that is hard to predict or prevent.

Keep a local plumber’s number on hand and be ready to call them if something happens. Professional plumbers can perform whole-home plumbing inspections to diagnose clogs, leaks, and other problems. Once the problem is recognized, they can provide the appropriate repairs, allowing you and your family to still enjoy holiday festivities.

Avoid plumbing emergencies this holiday season. If you need a plumbing inspection, draining cleaning, or other necessary service, contact Gilmore. We provide plumbing services in Sacramento, California.