The holiday season is here! For many homeowners, this means cooking up big meals, hosting guests, doing endless dishes and putting every part of your home to the test. While this time of year is filled with joy and togetherness, it can also be one of the busiest and most stressful periods for your plumbing system. With more people in the house and colder temperatures outside, it’s easy for small plumbing issues to turn into big problems.
So what steps can you take to keep your plumbing happy during the holidays?
Conduct a pre-holiday maintenance check.
Start by inspecting your home’s plumbing before guests arrive. Check under sinks for leaks, look for slow drains and make sure toilets flush properly. Strange gurgling noises or dripping sounds are red flags that should be addressed right away. Don’t just inspect your pipes. Also give a once-over to your dishwasher, washing machine, water heater and refrigerator. Take a look at your faucets, toilets, showers and outdoor spigots as well. Basically, if it uses water, it’s worth checking out.
Think before you dispose.
Both your kitchen sink and your garbage disposal work overtime during the holidays. It’s important to treat them with care. Avoid sending fats, oils, bones, coffee grounds or fibrous foods like celery and potato peels down the drain. These are common culprits of holiday clogs. Instead, scrape scraps into the trash or compost. If you’re using the garbage disposal, run cold water before, during, and after use. As well, feed it scraps slowly and never all at once.
Set clear rules for your guest bathrooms.
Toilets see more action during the holidays. Be mindful that not all guests may know what’s flushable. Place a small waste bin in every bathroom to catch non-flushables like wipes or paper towels. Double-check that toilets flush cleanly and refill properly. It’s also smart to keep a plunger nearby in case someone gets a little overconfident. Preventative bathroom prep can save you a lot of embarrassment and mess later.
Spread out showers, dishes and laundry.
Try to stagger water use during the holidays to ease the load on your hot water heater and plumbing system. Ask guests to space out showers. Also, don’t run the dishwasher and washing machine at the same time. Spreading things out prevents overloading and helps ensure everyone gets a hot shower without backups or breakdowns.
Guard against cold and frozen pipes.
Don’t forget that winter weather brings its own risks. Cold snaps can freeze and burst pipes, especially in basements, garages and exterior walls. Wrap exposed pipes with foam insulation and consider letting taps drip during extremely cold nights to keep water flowing. If you’ll be away for the holidays, winterize pipes in unused areas to avoid surprises when you return. It’s also important to keep your home at a consistent temperature even when you’re away.
A little preventative care can go a long way.
From your kitchen to your bathrooms, making sure your system is holiday-ready means fewer disruptions and more time to enjoy with family and friends. If you need to unclog a drain, repair a toilet or get any expert plumbing help at all, please don’t hesitate to give your friends at 2 Bro’s Plumbing a call at 905-556-0790 or email us at admin@2brosplumbing.ca. You can also fill out the form on our Contact page for a free quote today!
Happy Holidays!
