EMERGENCY SERVICEs

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year — unless you find yourself dealing with a clogged drain or another plumbing emergency, that is. All of the guests, cooking, and entertainment that takes place in your home during the holidays can put stress on your plumbing, and if there is already an underlying issue, it can lead to a not-so-merry experience. Before all the festivities begin, homeowners should take the time to refresh themselves on the steps that can be taken to avoid a plumbing emergency during the holiday season.

At Dash Drains, you would be surprised by how often our drain company gets called to help with drain and plumbing emergencies during the holidays. While we are happy to help, the holidays are meant to be enjoyed, not spent dealing with an issue with your plumbing. In this blog, our drain experts share a handful of tips to help homeowners avoid problems with their drains and plumbing system this holiday season.

Watch What You Put Down the Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals are incredibly handy, especially with all of the time that is spent in the kitchen during the holidays preparing and cooking food. While garbage disposals are an easy way to make food scraps and other unwanted items quickly disappear, certain things are a recipe for disaster. Garbage disposals can only handle so much, and the consequences of throwing even the slightest amount of unwanted items down your drain can leave you with a gift more unpleasant than coal. Some items that should never put into your garbage disposal include: 

 

• Grease – You should NEVER pour grease, fats, or cooking oils down drains. They can solidify in pipes and collect other major debris to form clogs. 

• Fibrous Foods – Fibrous, stringy, or starchy food waste should be thrown into a wastebasket rather than put down the garbage disposal since they are harder to break down. 

• Large Food Particles – Putting larger particles of food can end up causing a major drain clog. To reduce the risk of clogs, make sure your disposal is turned on when adding to it.

• Expandable Foods – Pasta and extra batter are among the most common expandable foods that are put down drains this time of year. However, they risk forming clogs and causing other plumbing emergencies. 

 

When in doubt, it is best to dispose of food scraps and other unwanted items in the trash bin. Use the garbage disposal for items that won’t risk a clogged drain or another plumbing issue.

Be Conscious of Shower Times

While your holiday plans may look a little different this year compared to last, you may still have close family members coming to stay with you for a few days. When this happens, it is important to be conscious of how often the shower is used. When multiple people are using the shower it can put a lot of strain on your drains and water heater. To avoid issues, give your drains and water heater enough time — we recommend at least 15 minutes — to catch up in between showers. If running out of hot water is a frequent problem in your house, it may be time to invest in a new water heater. 

Think Before You Flush

Toilet clogs are the last thing you want to deal with when you have guests in your home and the holiday festivities are in full swing. To avoid toilet clogs and overflowing toilets, it is important to flush only what toilets are intended for. Wet wipes, cotton balls, feminine products, and other items need to be disposed of the proper way: in a wastebasket. If you are having guests over, it doesn’t hurt to add a small sign in the bathroom requesting that certain items be put in the trash bin rather than flushed down the toilet.

Schedule Drain Cleanings In Advance

Your drains are soon to be consumers of more than you think. If you want to be sure that they are in working order, consider having them professionally cleaned before the festivities begin. Professional drain cleanings will allow a drain company to not only clear your drains but also identify any underlying issues that could lead to a plumbing disaster. At Dash Drains, we offer hydro jet drain cleaning to help clear your drains of grease, sludge, and clogs to restore their functionality. This is one of the safest, fastest, and most effective ways to eliminate the toughest blockages. 

Although you can take precautions to avoid a holiday disaster, sometimes plumbing emergencies strike when you least expect them to. That is why Dash Drains is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to solve all your drain problems. If you want to help ensure your drains are prepared for what’s to come with the holidays, contact our drain cleaning company to schedule service.