The holidays are right around the corner, which means now is the time to prep your home, start planning parties, and oh, have your plumbing system maintained. Think about it—when you have increased guests in your home due to the holidays, there is an increased use of your plumbing system. We want to help you prepare for common plumbing issues before it’s too late.
In addition to hiring a professional plumber in Tampa, FL to conduct appropriate maintenance, you should take the proper precautions this holiday season to prevent common plumbing issues, such as:
No Hot Water
Do you have a tank water heater? To have it functioning as it should is essential during the holidays, just as much for cooking as it is cleaning and bathing—which can be increased if you have overnight guests. To prevent running out of hot water, be sure yours is turned up to maximize its capability and help the hot water last longer.
Clogged Garbage Disposal and Drains
This is a messy and, of course, a hugely inconvenient problem to have during the holidays. Thanksgiving, for instance, involves a large amount of cooking and cleaning for most American families. If this process is interrupted, your holiday meal can quickly become a catastrophe.
In order to protect your garbage disposal and prevent it from jamming up, avoid putting things like excessive potato skins and fibrous veggies such as celery down it. These items get tangled within the disposal system and prevent it from doing its job.
For your drains—avoid FOG! This is a year-round threat to your plumbing system. FOG stands for fats, oils, and grease. These harden up as they cool, building up on the walls of your pipes and causing stubborn clogs. Instead, set them aside and let them cool before disposing of them in the garbage.
Toilet Clogs
Be sure you have a wastebasket handy for holiday guests to throw away trash. You’d be surprised by the items people put down the toilet (maybe not that surprised, if you have kids!) Anything from food to paper plates can easily clog up a toilet drain.
Leaks
Small drips or seemingly minor leaks are easy to ignore, but they can grow quite quickly, and turn into a huge mess, and expense, for you. Even the smallest of leaks can easily waste gallons of water throughout the year, if not addressed. Additionally, leaks may be the sign of pipe corrosion, which should be fixed to avoid a pipe rupture later on.
What if you suspect you have a leak, but you aren’t really sure—can you ignore it for now? Sure, but this can be a huge mistake, particularly during the busy holiday season. You could find yourself facing property damage should you be dealing with a slab leak or a leak behind the walls. Leaks can’t always be avoided, but they can be detected, as can compromises to your plumbing system that may lead to leaks—with video pipe inspection.
For whatever your plumbing service needs may be, simply contact IERNA’s Heating & Cooling.