How To Protect Your Plumbing From Seasonal Stress
The holidays are a wonderful time to gather with family and friends. However, hosting guests combined with the potential for freezing weather can put your plumbing system under additional strain and stress. Without proper prevention, homeowners can experience anything from clogged drains to frozen pipes.
Here, the plumbing experts at Haller Enterprises discuss the steps you can take to protect your plumbing system from serious issues so your holidays are stress-free.
Steps To Prevent Plumbing Problems
Homeowners can significantly reduce their chances of plumbing problems this holiday season by following a few simple steps and precautions, including:
Avoid Putting Certain Foods in Your Disposal
Your garbage disposal is an efficient and convenient way to handle food waste in your kitchen. However, not all items are safe to go down your disposal & some foods will result in your garbage disposal not working. Homeowners should never use their disposal for bones, as they’re too hard and dense for the blades to handle and can cause a jam. Fibrous vegetables like celery should also go in the trash, as their long strings can tangle the blades and cause your garbage disposal to break down.
Use Drain Covers in Showers
When multiple people use your guest bathroom, your drains can suffer. One common issue is excess hair that gets caught in your pipes and acts as a net to catch other debris, causing a severe blockage. To avoid clogging drainage, purchase a simple drain cover from a local hardware store to prevent hair from entering your pipes.
Optimize Your Hot Water Usage
Homeowners rely on access to hot water even more during the holidays, from additional bathroom use from guests to extra loads of laundry. That’s why it’s essential to optimize your water usage. Things like staggering showers and only running full loads of laundry and dishes can help reduce stress on your water heater. You can also install low-flow fixtures or upgrade to a tankless water heater to help reduce your chance of issues like no hot water in the house.
Schedule Sump Pump Maintenance
When winter weather brings heavy rains, protecting your home from floods is important. The best way to do this is with sump pump maintenance. Schedule a tune-up at the start of the season to ensure your system is ready for any storm and to reduce the chance that your sump pump stops working when you need it most.
Keep Toilet Plumbing Warm
When temperatures drop below freezing, there’s a chance that your toilet won’t flush in the cold weather. This problem is usually due to a frozen toilet supply line or tank. To prevent this inconvenience, insulate your toilet’s supply line and keep all bathrooms at a consistent temperature of no lower than 55°F.
Prevent Pipes From Bursting
Extreme cold during the winter can cause the water in your pipes to freeze and expand, often leading to burst pipes. This is a plumbing emergency that can wreak serious havoc on your home. Ensure your plumbing is ready to operate efficiently by scheduling maintenance with Haller. Our team can help protect your system by insulating exposed pipes, checking for any existing damage, and more.
Schedule Service With the Top Plumbers in Pennsylvania
For superior plumbing service throughout Pennsylvania, trust the team at Haller. Our 24/7 emergency service call center helps you get the immediate attention you need during the holiday season. With over 40 years in the industry, our team of licensed and insured experts is proud to offer outstanding solutions for any plumbing issues.
Call Haller today to schedule plumbing services in Pennsylvania this holiday season.
