The strain that holidays can put on the drains & plumbing in your home

Holiday get-togethers run so much smoother if you don’t have a surprise toilet clog. Or what if you’re trying to prep for a large meal and your kitchen sink backs up and won’t drain? But you can’t predict when those things are going to happen … or can you?

This time of year, we have an increase in the number of customers calling with drain issues, mainly because we’re using our drains more. There are some warning signs to watch out for that can let you know there might be a problem.

Warning Signs

Recent/Frequent Backups
If everyday use is causing backups, you have to think about the effect having more people will have on your drains.
Slow Drains
As things collect on the sides of the drains it makes it more and more difficult for water to drain.
Garbage Disposal Struggles to Keep Up
If your garbage disposal is having a problem without the stress of larger holiday meal prep, it could choose Christmas morning to stop altogether.

Don’t worry, there are a few things you can do to decrease your chances of a drain emergency this holiday season.

Things You Can Do

Recent/Frequent Backups

As strange as it might feel to talk to your house guests about how temperamental your toilet is. Trust me, the conversation after the fact is way more uncomfortable.
You could invest in having a drain company come out and inspect your main sewer line, they can send a camera down the drain to see if there is a bigger issue.
Make sure to have a toilet plunger next to the toilet. If you didn’t know, the toilet plunger is the plunger that has a smaller opening at the bottom.

Slow Drains

Avoid trying to clear the line with a bottle of chemicals. This is rarely a long-term solution and can sometimes do more harm than good.
You can take the pipes under your kitchen and/or bathroom sink apart and clean them. This will get rid of the buildup that has accumulated over time and solves many slow draining problems.
If you’re not sure how we made a video showing you how to clean both
– How To Clean Your Kitchen Sink Drain
– How To Clean Your Bathroom Sink Drain
A natural drain cleaning product can safely eat away at the buildup in your pipes and keep things flowing.

Garbage Disposal Struggles to Keep Up

Scrape as much food as you can into the garbage can instead of putting it down at your disposal. That way you don’t have to worry about it.
Refresh yourself on how to fix your garbage disposal if it stops working
We made a video showing you how to fix the most common reason disposal doesn’t work:
– How To Fix A Garbage Disposal
If your disposal is old and you’re handy, you could replace your old disposal and upgrade to one that is more powerful. If you’re not sure how we made a video showing you how:
– How To Replace a Garbage Disposal

Bonus

If you have a “guest bathroom” that only gets used when guests come over, maybe switch it up and start using that bathroom to make sure there are no issues you’re unaware of.
Have the number of a plumber you trust on hand … just in case.
With these helpful tips, you should be able to dramatically reduce your chances of having a drain emergency during the holiday. Sometimes our best efforts aren’t enough to keep bad things from happening. If you do find yourself in need of help with a drain issue, Any Hour Services, Electrical, Plumbing, Heating & Air is here to help.

In The House, an Any Hour Services, Electrical, Plumbing, Heating & Air podcast – click here to listen to episodes

This blog post was inspired by this podcast episode about Holiday Drain Strain.