It’s the most wonderful time of the year, at least until you find yourself with a house full of guests and a backed up garbage disposal, an overflowing toilet, or a hot water heater that, well, doesn’t. While you’re getting ready to deck the halls and make spirits bright, make sure you also spend a little time preparing your plumbing for holiday overtime.
Why You Need to Prep Your Drains Ahead of the Holidays
Halloween in October. Thanksgiving in November. Christmas and New Year’s in December. Mardi Gras season in January and February (and some years, March). The holiday season in Louisiana means back-to-back months with more cleaning, more cooking, more dishes, more laundry, more showering, and more flushing, especially if you’re hosting holiday parties or have houseguests staying with you for days or weeks at a time.
That sustained increase can push your plumbing to its breaking point, and even minor annoyances can suddenly become full-blown nightmares under that kind of strain. Why wouldn’t you give yourself a little extra peace by taking simple steps ahead of time to prevent a holiday plumbing disaster?
When to Start Your Holiday Drain Prep
During the busy holiday season, starting drain prep early is always a good idea. You don’t want to find out you need professional drain cleaning the night before 6 extra people have to use your guest bathroom!
If it’s been a year or more since the last time you cleaned your drains, we recommend you start your holiday plumbing prep 3-4 weeks before your guests arrive or you start cooking that feast. That gives you plenty of time to take care of any problems or schedule a cleaning or inspection.
Of course, 3-4 weeks in advance is just a recommendation. Prepping “late” is always better than not prepping at all. The good news is, if you’ve been doing regular plumbing maintenance throughout the year, you and your pipes should be in good shape as you head into the holiday months. Don’t panic if you’ve been putting things off since last year (or longer), though.
How to Prepare Your Plumbing for the Holiday Season
Identify Suspicious Plumbing Behavior
Some plumbing issues are a total surprise. Often, though, you can nip problems in the bud pretty early as long as you recognize the signs.
Plumbing red flags to watch out for:
- Sinks, tubs, and showers that drain very slowly or not at all.
- Visible build-up and drain blockages.
- Foul odors and gurgling noises coming from your drains.
- Water or sewage pooling in your yard.
- Leaking or dripping pipes.
- Leaks or noises coming from your water heater.
- Hot water that runs out quickly or that never actually gets hot.
- Toilets that clog, overflow, or run frequently.
- Low water pressure.
- New water stains on walls, ceilings, or floors.
- Your water tastes bad.
Make a note of any warning signs you see, paying close attention to when you first noticed them, how frequently they occur, if they’re worse at specific times of day, and any other details that could indicate how severe the issue is.
The next step is to figure out what’s causing the problem, whether you need a repair or a replacement, and how much time and money that solution will take.
General Holiday Plumbing Checklist
- Eliminate any foul drain odors
- Clear and clean any clogged drains in bathrooms or kitchens
- Check that all toilet components work like they should
- Consider a gas line inspection before marathon cooking or hot water usage
- Make sure your garbage disposal is ready for duty
- Fix slow shower drains
- Check your pilot light
- Repair or replace any dripping faucets
- Clear any blockages that could lead to a backed-up sewer
DIY or Call a Pro?
Many basic plumbing problems, like a clogged toilet or a slow shower drain, are worth at least trying to DIY first. Plungers, drain snakes, baking soda, and drain cleaners are all simple, low-cost, low-effort drain clearing methods that can work in a matter of minutes.
If your DIY clogged drain solution didn’t do the trick, though, or you’re facing a problem that you just don’t feel comfortable trying to tackle on your own, don’t hesitate to call in the pros.
The Goodbee Plumbing team can identify, troubleshoot, and repair any plumbing issues you’re experiencing, letting you focus on all the magic of the holiday season.
Common Holiday Plumbing Problems
Blocked Kitchen Sinks & Garbage Disposals
The holidays usually mean heavy foods and lots of them, most of which should never go down the drain. Grease, gravy, oils, bones, cinnamon sticks, potato skins, carrot peels, coffee grounds, shrimp tails, rice and pasta… All small things that can lead to big plumbing problems.
Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to avoid a clogged kitchen drain or garbage disposal during the holidays.
- Pour any FOGs (fats, oils, and grease) into a disposable container, let them cool completely, then toss them into the garbage can.
- Scrape debris and food solids straight into the trash or compost before placing plates in the sink or dishwasher.
- Before washing pots and pans, wipe them out with paper towels to remove grease and oils.
- Use cold water before, during, and for 60 seconds after running your garbage disposal to help move things through the pipes.
Backed-Up Bathroom Drains
Thoroughly cleaning your drains before your guests arrive will go a long way toward preventing any major holiday plumbing catastrophes, but let’s face it. More people using the bathroom naturally means more opportunities for clogged toilets, sinks, showers, and tubs.
You can subtly encourage your guests to respect your pipes by leaving a clever and polite framed note on the counter or the back of the toilet, reminding them to please only flush toilet paper. Make sure there’s an easy-to-access trash can available for the other items, too.
A rubber or metal drain strainer will also help reduce how much hair and soap scum ends up in your shower or bathtub drain, and odds are your guests won’t even notice it’s there.
Little (or No) Hot Water
An increase in cooking and showering means an increase in hot water demand, especially during the winter holidays. Is your water heater up to the challenge?
To avoid your guests (or you) having to shower or wash dishes in cold water, make sure to spread out the hot water usage throughout the day. For example, try not to wash laundry, run the dishwasher, and fill a bathtub all at the same time.
It’s also important to give tank heaters a little rest time to replenish the hot water. Generally 10-15 minutes is plenty, but it may take longer if your heater is older or if it’s particularly cold out.
If your water heater has trouble keeping up, insulating it or increasing its temperature setting could also help offset the higher demand. You may also have to ask your guests to intentionally take shorter showers or stagger their shower times.
If all else fails, it may be time to replace your water heater entirely. Tank heaters typically need to be replaced after 10-12 years, while tankless heaters can usually last 15-20 years. Age isn’t the only factor, though. Leaks, inconsistent or insufficient hot water, rusty water, strange noises, and corrosion are all signs that you may need a new water heater.
Help Your Guests Help You
Prepping your plumbing for the holidays is only half the battle. The other half is keeping everything flowing smoothly all season long, which can be hard to do when there are a lot of people involved.
No one wants to spoil the holiday fun with awkward situations or conversations about holiday plumbing dos and don’ts. Instead, consider taking some simple, subtle precautions before your guests even arrive.
- Fit your shower drains with hair catchers.
- Place convenient, visible waste baskets in bathrooms for hygiene products, facial tissues, cotton balls, and wipes.
- Keep a plunger in each bathroom so guests can quickly unclog a toilet or drain.
- Use a strainer insert in your kitchen sink to catch any scraps or solids before they can accidentally go down the drain.
- Consider adjusting the temperature on your water heater to allow for increased hot water usage. For safety reasons, we don’t recommend setting the temperature any higher than 120° Fahrenheit. Make sure to lower the temperature again when demand subsides.
Avoid a Holiday Headache with Goodbee Plumbing and Drain Services
Even making a list and checking it twice won’t completely prevent an emergency. If you do find yourself facing an emergency plumbing issue during the holidays, give Goodbee a buzz. Most of our services can be performed the same day in most situations.