The holiday season is finally upon us, and it’s time to prepare your home for family and friends coming over to celebrate. This, of course, includes making sure your plumbing systems are running smoothly so that you don’t need emergency plumbing services right in the middle of your holiday festivities. Looking for a comprehensive checklist you can follow to make sure every plumbing system is fully operational in the coming months? Today we will discuss all of the plumbing services and regular maintenance steps that will guarantee you won’t have to worry about any mishaps during your holiday get-togethers.
It is possible you could have a plumbing emergency if there is a significant strain on your plumbing system that it is not used to handling, but it will be far less likely if you take the proper precautions.
In order to make sure you do not experience clogged drains during the holidays, it is a good idea to get a cleaning done beforehand. You can hire residential plumbing services for this task, or you can perform it yourself on your kitchen and bathroom drains by using plungers, drain snakes, or hot water and a vinegar and baking soda solution that can dissolve possible clogs without harming your pipes. Another thing to do is make sure you have drain screens in all your sinks and showers that can catch debris like hair and soap scum. This can help significantly reduce the chance of drain backups.
Whether it is gas or electric water heaters, you will want to make sure your water heater installation is fully operational for you and your guests, so it is vital to perform some checkups on the equipment. You may want to adjust the temperature in preparation for the increased usage it will be getting. Check for leaks around the tank and pipes, make sure there are no signs of corrosion, test the water pressure, and check that the anode rod is still healthy. It is also good to check the pressure relief valve, the heating elements (tankless water heater or electric water heater) or pilot light (gas water heater), and flush out a bit of water from the tank to ensure there is no sediment starting to build up.
It is a good idea to test flush every toilet in your home that is going to be in use to make sure they are all flushing properly and that there are no plumbing leaks anywhere around the appliance. This is also a good time to check and address if there are any running noises or unusual sounds after the toilet has been used that would indicate plumbing issues.
Inspect all around every plumbing appliance and fixture to see if there are any signs of a leak. If you find any water dripping from pipes or faucets, make sure to either tighten loose valves or connections or call professionals for plumbing repair.
While it is important for homeowners to perform some basic checkups themselves, it would be very beneficial to schedule an inspection with professional plumbers before the holiday season. This way, you can get a full inspection with proper equipment handled by licensed professionals and be sure that there are no underlying plumbing problems that could turn into larger ones when all your guests are here. Skilled plumbers can take care of water heater repair, sewer or drain issues, low water pressure, and all other sorts of plumbing needs. It is also important to call a licensed plumber if you have plumbing repairs or a plumbing project that is complex, or you could risk damaging something like a water line. Any repair or replacement needed can be handled immediately by a plumber as well.
John Owens Services is your local team of plumbers in Marin and Sonoma County, always prepared to provide excellent service and leave happy customers after every job. Customers in need of repair services for their plumbing problems can always count on our plumbers to go the extra mile with lasting residential plumbing solutions, whether we are servicing a leak, clogged drain, or water heater installation. We are licensed professionals who can provide homeowners with residential plumbing tools for every service job.
Even after your festivities have begun, there are a few important plumbing needs that every homeowner should pay attention to in order to keep things with their residential plumbing system running as they should.
Make sure you run your garbage disposal regularly, washing down food scraps with cold water. Make sure that items such as bones and eggshells do not go down the sink, since they can damage your garbage disposal if it tries to grind them up.
Make sure you are keeping harmful materials out of the drains. Make sure your guests know to only flush flushable items down the toilet: no wipes, paper towels, feminine products, or food scraps. Also, make sure you do not pour large amounts of grease down the sink. Grease buildup can lead to slow drains, so it is best to have all food scraps scraped into the trash before doing the dishes and to have a designated container for grease so it does not all go down the drain.
In case of an emergency, have some plumbing supplies, such as plungers, drain snakes, and pipe wrenches, on hand so that you can take care of the problem quickly. This way, you can either resolve a possible plumbing issue entirely or at least prevent the problem from getting out of control before you can have professionals provide repairs.
If you’re planning on leaving for a holiday getaway, there are also a range of tasks that can help you rest easy knowing that your plumbing at home is well taken care of.
The best way for homeowners to ensure there are no plumbing catastrophes while they’re away is to simply turn off the water in the home. Pipes can burst and leaks can occur at any time, so it would be a good way to ensure water damage does not occur. Make sure to let the faucets run when you turn the water off so that all the water can completely drain.
Sump pumps help to prevent flooding in places like your basement or crawlspaces, so it is important to be sure it is fully functioning before you leave for a period of time. If it is not, you should have a plumber repair or replace it before you go. This way, if there is an incident, you can be assured that the sump pump will drain away any standing water to prevent damage in your basement or crawlspace.
If you are leaving the house for a while, it is a good idea to turn down the temperature on the water heater just a few degrees. This will ensure that your water heater doesn’t exert an unnecessary amount of energy storing hot water that you will not need to use. Depending on how long you are leaving, it might even be a good idea to drain the tank.
Always check for leaking, dampness, or corrosion around your plumbing fixtures before you go. If you do find anything, you will want to call for plumbing repair services before you leave, since you do not want the corrosion to sit and rot while you’re away and cause a large amount of damage.
The holidays should not have to be a time to stress about residential plumbing issues. By taking the correct steps to inspect and maintain your plumbing system, you can lessen the possibility of needing emergency plumbing services during the holidays. Follow the steps in this list to make sure you are not in need of plumbing repair or replacement services this holiday season and can enjoy the benefits of a holiday celebration without the worry of any plumbing mishaps to derail the festivities.
Our philosophy is simple, we always want to maintain equipment to give it the longest life possible. Next, we want to focus on repairing when something goes wrong. Then only as the last choice, we replace equipment when needed. That’s the John Owens Way.
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