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5 Tips to Avoid Plumbing Problems Over The Holidays for a Stress-Free Winter

5 Tips to Avoid Plumbing Problems Over The Holidays for a Stress-Free Winter

Published By: Vince Vince

We have mere weeks before the start of holiday season 2020, and for many households across Arizona, that means hosting family and friends and eating lots of delicious home-cooked meals. It’s not a holly-jolly time for anyone, however, when plumbing problems arise unexpectedly.

Just imagine—you are getting the house ready for mom, dad, and Aunt Sue and her kids to visit and the water heater goes out. Or the toilet goes on the fritz. Or your dishwasher breaks down, and you have to do all those dishes by hand.

Want to avoid this fate? Here are some tips for getting your plumbing ready for the holidays.

Make Sure Your Water Heater Can Handle Extra Use

First on the list, your water heater is one of the most important appliances in your home if you plan to have guests stay overnight. There’s nothing less pleasant than an ice-cold shower in the winter (even in Arizona). Having water heater-related plumbing problems can also leave you with dirty dishes and laundry that requires warm water.

Start by testing what your water heater can handle. If you think you need more heating power to accommodate your guests, you may want to consider upgrading to a model with a larger tank and higher heating capacity.

Know What Food Items Are Garbage Disposal-Friendly to Avoid Plumbing Problems

Garbage Disposals can come in handy when you are spending a lot of time cooking in the kitchen. Certain items, however, can leave you without a working disposal and even clog your sink’s drain.

Items you should avoid sending down the disposal this holiday season include:

  • Bones
  • Coffee Grounds
  • Fibrous vegetables
  • Grease/oil/fat
  • Potato Peels
  • Egg Shells

These items can ruin the blades on your disposal and lead to expensive repairs. When in doubt, throw it out.

Don’t Get Stuck Doing the Dishes

If you have a dishwasher, you should ensure that it is going to be able to handle more frequent use. You can begin testing your dishwasher by inspecting the dishes after they go through a cycle. Are they clean or do they appear grimy? Sometimes, mineral deposit can clog the spray holes on the dishwasher’s spray arms.

Give Your Toilets a Once-Over

When you have lots of people eating lots of food in your house, that means, well…you better have at least a few toilets that actually work. One common problem that is an easy fix is when the flapper valve on the toilet gets worn out. Check each of your toilets to see if they seem to be constantly refilling. If they are, it could be the flapper valve.

Got other toilet plumbing problems? Call us before it’s too late.

Get Your Drains Inspected

One final note on getting your plumbing ready for the holidays—we’ve been talking a lot about plumbing problems that can cause clogged drains, but what if the problem is a clogged drain?

Don’t wait until the last minute if you think you have a drain that isn’t clearing properly.

Want to Avoid Plumbing Problems This Year? Custom Plumbing Is Here to Help!

Contact us now so we can send a plumber to fix whatever your plumbing issue is ASAP.