How the Holidays Can Cause Plumbing Problems

The holidays are here, and that means your plumbing system may be put through its paces during the next few weeks.

Between having more people in your home than usual, cooking large meals, and the weather itself, the holidays can put a lot of unusual strain on your plumbing system. This can cause a plumbing problem in your home, but it’s not inevitable! With a little bit of preparation and knowledge going into the holidays, you can avoid many common holiday plumbing problems.

Water Leaks & Pipe Bursts

The most common plumbing problems in a home often come from water leaks and pipe bursts. Not only do these problems cause inconvenient messes to clean up, but they can also compromise your home’s water pressure and cause your whole plumbing system to suffer or even fail. In worst-case scenarios, water from leaks and pipe bursts can cause serious damage to your home!

Around the holidays, your plumbing system is under a lot more strain than usual. That means problems with damaged pipes and loose fittings can become apparent as more water than usual flows through them. All of that stress can build up, causing a burst or worsening an existing leak.

You can prevent water leaks and pipe bursts by having a professional plumber from Trident Plumbing & Drain inspect your home’s plumbing system. When one of our trained experts inspects your home, you can rest assured that we’ll identify and fix all of the likely causes of a plumbing disaster that could otherwise happen during the holidays.

Clogged Drains

From the kitchen sink to every toilet and shower drain in your home, nothing could be more unpleasant for your guests than dealing with a drain clog. Not only are these problems inconvenient, but they can become a source of unpleasant sights and smells, so taking action now to prevent them is always a good idea!

Here’s how you can prevent drain clogs throughout your home:

• Never put grease down any drain – not even your kitchen sink! Instead, pour it into a disposable container and throw it away when it cools.
• Buy some drain catchers to catch food waste in your kitchen sink as well as hair and soap scum in your shower.
• Brush your hair before taking a shower or bath to remove loose hair and prevent it from going down the drain.
• Make sure only toilet paper and human waste go down your toilet drains.
• Use the trash to dispose of dental floss, face wipes, feminine hygiene products, and other such products.
• Keep objects that could accidentally fall into drains a safe distance away from them.

Should I Use Drain Cleaner on a Clogged Drain?

No! Although it seems natural to reach for a chemical drain cleaner when you’re dealing with a drain clog, these harmful chemicals can do a lot of damage to your pipes over time. Eventually, your home could develop leaks or worse plumbing problems when you continue to use chemical drain cleaners.

Instead, use a plunger or drain snake to clear a clog. These manual methods are a lot easier on your drains and can clear the source of any clog. If you’re having trouble, call an expert plumber from Trident Plumbing & Drain for professional drain cleaning services!

Water Heater Malfunctions

When you have guests staying over, little else can be more embarrassing than not having enough hot water for their showers. Most single-family homes are equipped with water heaters that can provide a comfortable supply of hot water for four people in a relatively short period, but spacing out showers is always the best way to conserve hot water in high demand.

Any issues with your water heater can compromise its ability to accommodate all of your guests in a reasonable amount of time.

Common water heater problems include the following:

• Inadequate size
• Low water pressure
• Leaking tank
• Faulty thermostat
• Faulty heating elements
• Extinguished pilot light

Any of these problems, and many others, could explain why your guests are complaining about cold showers. Save yourself future embarrassment – contact a plumber to inspect your water heater and help you repair any issues it may have. You may even want to consider upgrading to a newer model or adding a tank water heater if your home only has a tankless model!

Broken Plumbing Fixtures

Plumbing fixtures such as toilets, faucets, garbage disposals, sinks, tubs, and more are often built to last a long time, but nothing lasts forever. If the plumbing fixtures in your home are more than 15 years old, they’re liable to break down. That doesn’t mean they will any time soon, it just means that the likelihood becomes a lot greater as time goes on.

The likelihood of a plumbing fixture breaking also increases with additional use and strain during the holidays. With every turn, flush, tap, and pull, the chances that an important component can break increase. You can prevent that, however, by replacing older fixtures ahead of time. Not only are newer models often more efficient with water and energy use, but they can also reset the clock before you have to worry about replacing fixtures in the future.

Make Sure Your Plumbing is Ready for the Holidays

If you’re ready for the holidays, make sure your home’s plumbing system is, too. You can start today by getting in contact with a representative from Trident Plumbing & Drain and learning about all of the plumbing services we have to offer to help you make sure everything is working as it should.

Get in touch with us today and request a service by calling 623-250-6244 or by contacting us online.