The holidays bring family gatherings, festive meals, and plenty of activity in the kitchen. Unfortunately, all that additional cooking, cleaning, and houseguests can also place extra strain on your home’s plumbing system.
A clogged kitchen sink, overflowing toilet, or backed-up drain can quickly interrupt a holiday celebration. Following a few simple precautions can help keep your plumbing working properly throughout the season.
Cooking a turkey, roast, or other holiday meal often produces leftover fats, oils, and grease. Although these substances may be liquid while hot, they can cool and solidify inside your plumbing.
Over time, grease can coat the inside of drainpipes, restrict water flow, and trap other food particles.
Instead of pouring grease down the sink, allow it to cool and place it in an appropriate container for disposal. You can also wipe greasy cookware with a paper towel before washing it.
If your kitchen sink is already draining slowly, having the problem addressed with professional drain cleaning can help prevent a complete blockage at an inconvenient time.
A garbage disposal can handle certain small amounts of food waste, but it isn’t a replacement for the trash can.
Putting too much food into the disposal—or adding items that don’t break down easily—can contribute to clogs, jams, and other problems.
Avoid putting items such as these into your garbage disposal:
Scrape plates into the trash or compost bin before rinsing them in the sink. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for operating your particular disposal.
Holiday baking can create its own plumbing problems.
Flour, dough, icing, and other sticky ingredients can combine with water and create a thick mixture you don’t want accumulating inside your drainpipes.
Place unused batter, dough, and food scraps in the trash rather than washing them down the drain. The less food waste you send through your kitchen plumbing, the lower the chance of creating a holiday clog.
Large holiday meals often create a pile of dishes that needs to be cleaned quickly. However, continuously sending scraps and grease through the sink can contribute to drainage problems.
Clear food from plates and cookware first, then wash your dishes.
Pay attention to how quickly the sink drains. If water begins draining noticeably slower than usual, don’t ignore it. A slow drain can be an early warning that buildup or a blockage is developing.
Addressing the problem early may be much easier than dealing with a sink that won’t drain at all when the house is full of guests.
More visitors mean more demand on toilets, sinks, showers, and your home’s hot water supply.
Before guests arrive, check bathrooms for:
Make sure each bathroom also has a wastebasket so guests have somewhere to dispose of wipes, paper towels, personal-care products, and other items that shouldn’t go down the toilet.
Even products marketed as “flushable” can contribute to plumbing problems, so sticking with toilet paper is the safer choice for your home’s drains.
More overnight guests can also mean more showers, laundry, and dishwashing than usual.
If your water heater already struggles to keep up with your household’s normal routine, holiday guests may make the problem more noticeable.
Watch for warning signs such as inconsistent water temperatures, unusually long recovery times, strange noises, or water around the tank. If something doesn’t seem right, consider having your water heater checked before guests arrive.
Cold Illinois weather creates another seasonal plumbing concern. Water inside vulnerable plumbing can freeze and expand, potentially damaging the pipe.
Before extremely cold weather arrives:
If you’re concerned about pipes in a particularly vulnerable part of your home, a plumber can help you identify areas that may need additional protection.
And if you discover a leaking or damaged pipe, professional leak repair can help prevent the problem from causing additional property damage.
A small plumbing issue doesn’t always stay small.
Before hosting a holiday gathering, pay attention to:
Scheduling home plumbing service before your guests arrive can help you take care of developing problems while they’re still manageable.
A little preparation can help your home’s plumbing handle the extra activity that comes with holiday gatherings. Keep grease and food waste out of your drains, prepare guest bathrooms, protect vulnerable pipes from cold weather, and address existing plumbing problems before the house gets busy.
At Ehret Inc., we hope the only plumber at your holiday celebration is an invited guest. But if your drains, pipes, toilets, water heater, or other plumbing need attention, our experienced team is ready to help throughout Belleville and the surrounding Metro East.
Schedule plumbing service with Ehret Inc. or call (618) 233-1018 to get your home ready for the holidays.
