If you will be entertaining over the holidays the last thing you want is for a plumbing disaster to strike, and we all know that emergencies always happen at the worst times – like when we have a house full of guests!
Whether the issue is a toy car clogging the toilet, turkey grease solidifying in the kitchen drain, silverware jamming the garbage disposal, or a broken water heater on Christmas Eve, plumbers are the superheroes over the holidays, that’s for sure!
Many households see an increase in activity between November 23rd and January 1st, which places additional stress on the water heater, dishwasher, showers, bathtubs, toilets, kitchen sink drain, garbage disposal, and even the washing machine, which means household plumbing is put the ultimate test.
While you can put in an emergency call to a plumber over the holidays, you’d prefer not to have to place a call on Christmas Day, during Hanukkah, or New Year’s Day, right? By following these simple tips, you should be able to avoid calling a plumber on the actual BIG holidays.
Fix the big dinner without breaking the garbage disposal.
One of the best ways to assure an easy cleanup is to take advantage of the garbage disposal, but be careful about grinding turkey skin, bones, potato and carrot peels, and celery in the garbage disposal, as these substances can cause the garbage disposal to clog and be ineffective at the worst time!
To prevent a garbage disposal emergency when you need the disposal most, don’t grind up the above substances if you can avoid it. With everything else, run cold water and then grind up small amounts of food at a time. Also, use a strainer to catch the larger chunks of food and throw those larger pieces of food into the trash.
Don’t pour grease down the drain.
Grease isn’t good for our hearts and it’s not good for drains either! Refrain from pouring cooking grease, fats from meat, and meat juice down the drain. If you do, the grease/fats will eventually solidify in the pipes, which can require emergency services from a plumber at the least convenient time for you.
Instead of disposing of the grease down the drain, wipe it out with a paper towel and throw it in the trash, or collect it in a “grease jar” and dispose of it in the trash when it’s full.
Enact the ‘two-flush rule’ over the holidays.
If you have a house full of guests on Christmas, surely the bathroom will become one of the busiest rooms in the house. With all of the toilet paper being flushed down the toilet, your toilet may start to resist all of that toilet paper.
One of the simplest ways to prevent backups is to adopt the two-flush-rule: have everybody flush the toilet twice to ensure that the toilet doesn’t clog.
Don’t take chances when your in-laws are in town.
If you barely see your family, Christmas or New Year’s is NOT the day to tackle a DIY project! If you’ve never fixed a leaky washing machine, a garbage disposal, or used a plumbing snake in a clogged toilet, you don’t want to fix a plumbing emergency by yourself when all of your relatives are visiting. Otherwise, you risk making a mistake and causing more damage by repairing it yourself.
You don’t have to prove that you’re “handy” while your in-laws are in town. Instead, show them that you’d rather spend time with them. If you have a plumbing emergency over the holidays, call a professional Kansas City plumber to get the job done right the first time around!
We offer emergency and same-day service – call A-1 Sewer & Septic Service Inc. today!
