As the holidays are fast approaching and we gear up for big celebrations and traditions at home, we must also prepare ourselves for the possible plumbing problems. If you know what to expect and how to fix them, you can easily tackle your emergency plumbing issues.
Holiday Plumbing Problems
When you are hosting your friends and family for Christmas, all your plumbing units will work a bit more than usual. So, first, let’s go through all the potential holiday plumbing problems that you can expect at home.
- Slow or clogged kitchen drain
- Clogged toilet
- Faulty water heater
- Low water pressure
- Clogged bathroom sink
- Runny toilet
Easy Christmas Plumbing Tips
Now that you know some common holiday plumbing issues- learn how to prevent them. Here are some Christmas plumbing tips that every homeowner must follow this holiday season for a smooth and perfect celebration.
- Inspect your pipes for blockages. How do you do that? Check for unpleasant odours, and if you have previously experienced clogs many times, it may be a sign of a clogged drain.
- Use bins in the bathroom. Having a dustbin in the bathroom will encourage your guests to drop any waste such as baby wipes or paper towels in the bin instead of flushing them. You can also add a friendly sign or stickers to make it obvious.
- Keep plungers always ready as they are a quick fix to clear a blocked drain and pipes. Plungers are a massive help but giving a heavy thrust can damage the wax seal between the toilet and floor, which in turn cause leakage. So, do it gently.
- Make sure you give at least a gap of 15 minutes between each shower to let the drain do its work slowly. Use a hair catcher to avoid hair, lint and other debris clogging the drain.
- Inspect your hot water system. By checking hot water systems before holidays, you can remove mineral buildup and other minor issues that may cause plumbing repairs due to overuse.
Do You Have a Holiday Plumbing Problem in Your Kitchen Sink?
If yes, try baking soda for kitchen drain unblocking. Clogged kitchen sinks are among the most common drainage issues during holidays. It is usually due to the buildup of food particles, grease and other debris. So if they drain slowly, start by checking the garbage disposal. If there is no issue in your garbage disposal unit, try the simple hot water treatment. Hot water helps to loosen the blockage to some extent. If there is no improvement, try baking soda and vinegar to unblock the kitchen drain.
- Pour 1 cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of white vinegar and let it fizz.
- Cover the drain plug and wait for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Then flush the drain by pouring hot water.
Baking soda and vinegar can break down most organic clogging materials. This is also the best alternative to chemicals as chemical drain cleaners will damage the drain. But if you are experiencing slow draining at various sinks, it may be a problem in the sewer line for which you need professional help. To avoid clogging,
- Always use a kitchen sink strainer and throw the waste in a bin.
- Never pour oil, grease, vegetable wastes, pasta and food items like bread that expand when exposed to moisture.
- Use a paper towel to wipe away the oil or grease from the pot before washing them in the sink.
You can follow the same method to clear a clogged shower drain. You can also use drain snakes or augers if none of the above hacks work.
When To Call a Professional?
If you have holiday plumbing problems that you couldn’t fix at your home in the Greater Toronto area, call our professionals at True Service Plumbing.
Our technicians are well equipped and knowledgeable to address any plumbing issue and fix it effectively in no time. So be it a pipe repair, drain repair, toilet repair or any plumbing repair, reach out to us immediately.
