The holidays are finally here, and the festivities are on the rise! This is the time for family gatherings and lots of food to be consumed. Your home will likely be filled with guests and are happily enjoying yourselves with each other’s company. This would also mean that your plumbing will be working harder than usual and if not handled properly, could lead to some unwanted issues. Here at Five Star Plumbing, a plumber in Harford county, we provide quality plumbing services that are both fast and affordable. Here are some common holiday plumbing issues you might encounter and how to avoid them.
Your sink is not a trash can
A common issue that occurs that could easily lead to a clogged drain is what gets thrown into the sink. When it’s time to clean up, we tend to throw the scrap food down the drain or have it turn to mush in the disposal (more on that later). It’s important to keep in mind that you can’t just throw any form of trash down the drain and could lead to major clogs sooner or later. Scraps such as nuts and shells, grease, and potato peels should not go down the drain and instead in the trash can.
Know what goes in the garbage disposal
For those of you that have a garbage disposal unit in your sink, you may think that it can take any type of trash you throw in it. Well that’s not necessarily the case. Although a garbage disposal unit provides the convenience of disposing of excess food, it’s important to know what you can and cannot throw away. For instance, we highly advise against cooking oils and grease down the disposal as it could lead to blockage in the drain. We also don’t recommend eggshells and animal bones in the disposal as it could potentially damage the unit. Fibrous or stringy foods such as celery and onion skins can also damage your disposal unit as well along with any paper, plastic, or metal materials (for obvious reasons).
The Toilet
A clogged toilet is something you do not want to deal with after your holiday festivities. When you have guests coming to your house, your toilet could easily become an issue in the near future. Your toilet should be used for disposing of two things: waste and toilet paper. Anything besides that could put your toilet at risk of getting clogged. Luckily, there are a couple ways to prepare your toilet for the holiday seasons. You can keep a wastebasket next to your toilet and have your guests throw away any baby wipes, facial tissues, or any other toiletries rather than flushing them. Be sure to have a plunger nearby and some unclogging solutions ready in case a clog occurs.
The Water Heater
This next issue is one that not many would think of as a plumbing issue. During the holiday season, temperatures drop and we start to bundle up and take hot showers to stay warm. The last thing you want to happen is to have a broken water heater. Luckily, a routine water heater check up can fix this issue. If you don’t remember the last time you had your heater inspected, we recommend contacting a provider to have it checked out.
Investing in a drain snake
A drain snake is a tool commonly used by plumbers to clean out clogs in small drains such as bathrooms and kitchen sinks. It’s a great tool to have in your home should you need it for any clogging issues. You can pick one up at your local hardware store or visit an online site if you don’t mind the wait. Keep in mind that these mainly work on smaller drains. If you have a clog occurring in larger pipes, you might need something bigger to assess the issue.
Do you have a plumbing emergency?
Five-Star Plumbing has been proudly serving the Harford county and Baltimore county area for over 30 years.We offer many different services, including well pump services, water treatment, plumbing repair and installation, outdoor plumbing services, drain cleaning, and water heater services.Our technicians will provide you with a flat rate fee up front so you know exactly what to expect. No hidden fees. We’ll explain what we plan to do and why we plan to do it, so you know exactly what’s going on.
Call us today at 410-836-0118 to schedule an appointment! You can also submit an online form at plumber-baltimore.com
