7 Plumbing Tips To Avoid Problems During The Holidays

Once again the holidays are upon us. And with the holidays means more time
at home, cooking for family and friends, dinner parties and potlucks.

With extra cooking and more time at home means more potential for problems
you’re your plumbing.

Here are 7 Plumbing Tips to help you avoid problems this holiday season.

1. With more guests in your home brings more food being cooked and potentially
being disposed of. With extra helping of food, throw it directly into
the garbage instead of down the garbage disposal. Too much food at one
time can clog the disposal and drain pipes, backing up your system at
inconvenient times.

2. Use plenty of water when using the garbage disposal. Turn the water
on a few seconds before using the disposal, and leave it run a few seconds
after its clear to ensure food and waste is through the system.

3. Be especially careful about putting certain types of foods down the
garbage disposal. Check out our 10 Worst Things To Put In Garbage Disposal
for a great list on what to avoid any time of the year, and especially
now with more traffic in your home.

4. With overnight guests in your home, and family members home more due
to vacations, turn up your water heater slightly to have more hot water
available. To have hot water available instantly any time you choose,
you may want to invest in a hot water circulation system.

5. Keep a trashcan in plain site in both the bathrooms and kitchen to avoid
flushing small items that can be hazardous for the pipes.

6. Use cold water for washing machines to conserve hot water for showers.
Run washers, dishwashers and other appliances early morning or late in
the evening to avoid competition for the hot water supply.

7. Keep a plunger ready for backups in the kitchen or bathroom. Don’t
wait for complete backups – solve the problem quickly to avoid a
bigger problem down the road. Even little clogs can become full blown
problems quickly without immediate action. Call your plumber immediately
if backups don’t seem to disappear, or if you have reoccurring problems
within a short amount of time. It’s easier to fix small problems
quickly than to deal with larger problems at inopportune times.