When you’re getting ready to host holiday gatherings, you’ll have a lot to think about regarding food, comfort, entertainment, and any gifts you might be exchanging. What if a plumbing incident were to occur in the middle of a celebration? It would certainly be memorable, but not necessarily for a good reason. If you’d like to avoid common plumbing problems, follow the advice below.

Prevent Pipes From Freezing

There’s a good chance that cold weather will hit sometime soon. When that happens, you need to be prepared for freezing weather. Since water expands when it transitions to ice, cold temperatures can cause pipes to burst if the water inside them freezes. When the ice melts and the water starts to flow again, it could leak and cause major problems.

Fortunately, you can prevent this situation from arising. Insulate any exposed pipes that may be in unheated areas such as the basement or garage. Also, make sure you store your garden hoses for the season, and flush water out of any fixtures that are outside.

Be Careful With Your Kitchen Drain

Your kitchen can be a busy place during the holiday season. When you’re preparing food and cleaning up dishes, be careful about what you send down the drain. First, avoid putting greasy foods, buttery items, and leftover oil in your sink. These can all lead to clogs. Instead, scrape off your plates before washing them, and use a strainer to prevent food particles from going down the drain.

If you have a garbage disposal, feel free to take advantage of it, but do so with caution. It can be very convenient to turn it on and clear up anything that may be clogging the sink. However, your garbage disposal can’t handle everything. It will have a tough time with fibrous, stringy vegetables like celery, asparagus, or artichokes. Plus, large bones and nut shells can be too tough for it to process. Also note that starchy foods might cause problems. Potatoes and rice, when mixed with water, can get thick and gummy, and pasta can pose a risk since it absorbs water and expands. Reserve your garbage disposal for smaller particles of food that are easy to break up.

Flush Only Toilet Paper

A clogged toilet can result in a major inconvenience, especially if you have many guests. Place a garbage can near the toilet to encourage people to throw away trash rather than flushing it down the toilet. Sanitary products, plastic, and even paper towels can clog a toilet. If you need to, come up with a friendly sign that indicates that only toilet paper should get flushed.

Help Is Available

Being strategic and gentle with your plumbing system can help you prevent problems that commonly occur during the holidays. That being said, keep in mind that situations could pop up out of nowhere. When this happens at your place in Indianapolis, you can call JW’s for either residential or commercial plumbing assistance.