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Christmas is fast approaching and, if your home is like the majority of those across the country, it will be full of your friends and family members over the next few weeks. Plumbing emergencies can be disastrous at any time of the year; but they’re especially promlematic at this time of the year.
That said; it’s important to ensure that the Christmas festivites in your house aren’t interrupted by a burst pipe, a broken toilet, a bad leak or another plumbing emergency.
You can minimse the need for an emergency plumber during the holidays by taking the following precautions;
A drain screen is a cover you place over the hole in the sink or bathtub. Whenever we wash something, bits of unwanted debris such as hair, dirt and soap along with food residues in the kitchen get washed down the hole.
Over time, the insoluble particles accumulate causing a blockage in the pipe. Eventually, this causes drainage problems. A cheap and readily-available screen can trap all of this dirt, allowing you to dispose of it correctly rather than washing it down your drain.
The best way to deal with a plumbing disaster is to stop it from happening in the first place. Preventative measures include checking your toilet’s components are all working and don’t need replacing.
You can also buy a plunger and give your toilet a good plunge every couple of days. If you follow these two simple tips, the chances of a severe toilet malfunction from happening are slim.
This tip is especially important around the festive season. When you’re cooking the turkey while trying not to burn the potatoes, it can be easy to pour any unwanted oil down the sink. Let’s be honest, most of us do it without even thinking about it. Guilty?
If so, it’s time to find a better way of disposing hot oil as it can quickly cause pipe blockages. As the hot oil cools, it hardens creating a mass inside the pipe and, if you’re not careful, your pipes can block in a matter of hours, potentially causing a Christmas Day disaster.
Instead, pour the oil into a container and dispose of it in the rubbish when it cools.
The inside of drainage pipes can be disgusting, as they’re usually full of scum, bacteria and a range of unwanted nastiness. A solution of baking soda and warm water followed by a generous amount of white vinegar can work wonders when poured directly into pipes.
The concoction dissolves the accumulated sediment in the bends. This method is a safer alternative to using stronger and corrosive drain cleaners, which can cause pipe damage over time.
You should be cleaning the pipes every six months so be sure to do it in the next few days if you haven’t cleaned them in a while.
Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to plumbing problems. If you follow the tips above and take measures against potential damage or problems, you’re much less likely to have a plumbing emergency over Christmas. And we’re sure you’ll agree that it’s better to spend a little time now than have to endure the mortifying drama over the holidays when you can’t get hold of a plumber!
