Plumbing Questions & Answers

With Christmas just around the corner, we are surely going to see a lot of our families, friends and even some plumbing problems. We like to have guests during the holidays and according to a study, most Americans have at least eleven or more guests during Christmas or Thanksgiving. That number of people can seriously strain your home’s plumbing system which then leads to emergency calls to the local plumber. With a lot of guests, you’re sure to have a busy kitchen and eventually, you realize that a lot of grease have found their way to the kitchen drain or disposer. Having a lot of guests will also increase the use of showers and bathroom flushes which can make for a potential plumbing disaster.

We all know that pipes get clogged because of the gradual buildup of grease, hair, food particles and soap. Having the guests around can speed it up and cause a problem. But it doesn’t have to happen that way though. With a few simple steps to follow, you can be assured of a worry free holiday.

For The Kitchen

• Try to avoid pouring oils and fats down the drain because these can solidify once exposed to cooler temperatures and might eventually lead to clogging.
• Always make sure that the grease does not go down the drain. A smart thing to do would be to have a separate disposal unit for grease and oils. This will help your drain to run smoothly.
• Stay away from putting fibrous wastes or anything that seems too hard to grind in the garbage disposer. The garbage disposer won’t be able to grind these and the result would be a clogged drain. Always segregate what goes in and what does not.
• A good way to flush down waste down the main line is by running cold water down the drain for just about fifteen seconds.
• Make your disposers job easier by turning it on before putting the waste inside. This way, it has some sort of running head start.
• Run your washing machine or dishwasher at night or during off-peak hours to conserve the water pressure and water temperature for your guests.

For The Bathroom

• Don’t take showers one after another. Try to spread the showering throughout the day. If you really need to take a shower, wait for at least ten minutes before doing so if someone has just finished using it.
• Slightly turn up the water heater to retain the temperature. To avoid scalding, make sure that the temperature does not go over 125F.
• If you notice that the shower pressure is weak, try pouring a cup of vinegar into a plastic bag. Place the plastic bag over the shower head and soak it. Tie it to hold the plastic bag in place when soaking the shower head overnight. The next morning, take an old toothbrush and gently scrub off the deposits. This will help increase the water flow of your shower head.
• Always have a trash bin in the bathroom. This will help to avoid making the toilet bowl as the trash bin. Also avoid flushing down cotton swabs, cotton balls, sanitary napkins, diapers and the like as they are difficult to dissolved and will most likely cause a clog somewhere.