How to Avoid Plumbing Emergencies
During the holiday season, our homes transform into lively centers of festivity, welcoming loved ones, friends and neighbours to celebrate the season. However, amid all the joy, these gatherings can put extra pressure on our plumbing systems.
The increased usage — from a surge in dishes to more frequent showers and toilet flushes — can quickly turn into significant emergencies, especially when combined with the holiday’s cold weather, which heightens the risk of pipes freezing and bursting.
Such plumbing issues not only interrupt our celebrations but can also result in significant inconvenience and unforeseen costs. Fortunately, most of these common plumbing problems during the holidays can be prevented with some foresight and a few simple measures, ensuring your festivities go on without interruption.
Awareness of what causes these seasonal plumbing challenges, like the influx of guests and possible oversight of regular maintenance during the busy holidays, is key to proactive management. Taking steps early on to mitigate these risks can help avoid plumbing disasters.
Nonetheless, if a plumbing emergency arises and finding a plumber becomes a challenge, taking proactive measures can provide temporary relief for your plumbing system. This allows you to continue enjoying the holiday season without added stress.
1. Inspect Your Plumbing System
Start by inspecting your plumbing system well before the festive season kicks off. Address any signs of wear and tear in pipes, faucets, and water heaters immediately. An inspection should be thorough, covering checks for leaks in faucets, toilets, and sinks.
Unclog drains and verify that your water heater is in good working condition, as these actions can help to avoid problems during peak times. Additionally, assess your pipes for the risk of freezing, particularly in areas prone to cold weather. Plumbing systems prone to freezing in winter include exposed pipes in unheated areas like basements, attics, and crawl spaces, as well as those along exterior walls and outdoor hose bibs. Older homes with poor insulation, mobile homes, and unoccupied vacation homes are also at higher risk. Insulating pipes and maintaining a slight water flow can help prevent freezing.
2. Don't Pour Grease Down the Drain
Be mindful of what goes down your drains. Avoid disposing of grease and large food particles in the kitchen sink.
Grease and oil are notorious for their capacity to solidify inside plumbing pipes, resulting in nasty clogs that disrupt the flow of wastewater. Although running hot water can solve the problem, the grease often solidifies upon cooling, leading to blockages farther down the system. This issue is exacerbated during the holiday season due to the high cooking volume and the disposal of larger quantities of grease.
3. Be Mindful of What Goes Down the Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposals might seem like a catch-all solution for food waste, but they should be used judiciously. Large food items and significant quantities of waste should be disposed of in the trash or composted if available. Garbage disposals are best suited for small food remnants, helping to prevent a build-up of solid waste in the plumbing system.
4. Eliminate Drain Build-up and Control Odor in your Kitchen sink
Often used by professional plumbers as a preventative measure, Hercules® PT-BIO1™ eliminates drain line build-up and controls odors with a concentrated liquid blend of fast-acting grease, waste-digesting bacteria, and biodegradable grease and soil removers.
PT-BIO1 also continues its grease-digesting action in grease traps and sewer lines and improves the performance of cesspools, septic tanks, and drain fields. The waste-digesting bacteria biodegrade greasy matter en route, preventing redeposition, interior (crown) corrosion and sewer gas formation.
5. Keep Some Basic Plumbing Supplies Handy
Keeping a basic set of plumbing supplies on hand can be a lifesaver, helping you quickly address minor issues before they escalate into major inconveniences. Here is a list of essential supplies to keep in your household tool kit:
- Plunger: A must-have in any home, a good plunger can help clear common clogs in toilets, sinks, and drains.
- Drain Snake or Auger: For tougher clogs that a plunger cannot handle, a drain snake or auger can help you reach deeper into pipes to remove blockages.
- Teflon Tape: Teflon tape, or plumber’s tape, is used to seal pipe threads to prevent leaks at joints. Hercules® Megatape is an all-purpose, professional-grade PTFE thread-sealing tape designed for a wide range of threaded pipes. Compatible with virtually any piping system, Megatape provides exceptional versatility.
- Plumber’s Putty: Oatey® Plumber’s Putty creates a watertight seal around faucets and drains. If you are experiencing issues or leaks with your fixtures, faucets, frames or drain strainers, plumber’s putty is flexible and easy to work with. It has no cure/dry time and does not stick to hands, making your project quick, easy and mess-free.
- Epoxy Putty: Oatey Fix-It™ Stick Epoxy Putty is nice to have on hand for an emergency repair until a long-term solution can be performed. The two-part epoxy-putty stick can repair leaks, holes or cracks in materials such as plastic, metals, fiberglass, concrete or ceramics.
- Washers and O-Rings: Having an assortment of washers and o-rings can help you quickly fix leaky faucets.
- Repair Tape: Masters® Emergency Repair Tape can be used to temporarily stop pin hole leaks in many types of pipes. This silicone tape seals using compression to stop leaks until you can replace the leaky pipe.
Temporary Steps to Take During a Holiday Plumbing Emergency
During the bustling holiday season, finding an available plumber can become a daunting task, as many professionals are booked or enjoying time off with their families. Additionally, plumbing issues can be expensive to solve, more so during holidays when plumber rates may spike due to emergency call-outs.
To ensure a smooth and disruption-free holiday experience while minimizing costs, it’s crucial to take proactive steps to mitigate any plumbing issues until professional help arrives.
1. Turn Off the Water Supply
Start by using temporary fixes to mitigate the problem: Turn off the water supply to prevent further damage. Use a plunger to attempt to clear clogged drains, and apply plumber’s tape to stop minor leaks. Essential tools, such as an adjustable wrench, pipe tape, and a plumbing snake, can make a significant difference.
2. Temporarily Repair Drain-pipe Leaks
If you do find a leak under your kitchen or bathroom sink that must be patched immediately, you can temporarily fix it along with holes or cracks with Oatey Fix-It™ Stick Epoxy Putty.
For versatile use, the two-part epoxy putty stick can temporarily repair leaks, holes or cracks in materials such as plastic, metals, fiberglass, concrete or ceramics. The powerful adhesive putty easily mixes in your hands and hardens like steel minutes after application, perfect for fixing broken tile and molding. The putty is non-toxic and can be used on wet or dry surfaces to tackle unexpected repair jobs around your home.
If you see a pin hole leak in any of your copper or pex water supply piping, you can temporarily stop the leaking with Masters® Emergency Repair Tape. This versatile tape can be used inside or outside on a variety of pipe types such as copper, pex, ABS or PVC. Simply wrap the tape around the damaged pipe, ensuring to stretch and keep tension on the pipe until the leak stops. You can even repair the leak without shutting your water off. The tape is non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and does not stick to your piping, making proper repair easy.
3. Clear Up Clogs from Grease or Oil
If grease or oil has clogged your sink, chances are you have a traditional mechanical method, such as a plunger or drain snake, to alleviate the damage. However, if using a traditional method is not strong enough, look for a potent product solution that can tackle tough drain clogs.
Hercules® Glug® Crystals Drain Opener can be a great solution when your pipes encounter grease or oil issues. This product is a formidable ally against stubborn clogs in kitchen sink drains that are often overburdened by the increased holiday cooking and cleaning activities. Unlike some other methods, Hercules® Glug® Crystals Drain Opener requires minimal physical effort and technical know-how, making it accessible for most homeowners.
The holiday season is a time to relax and enjoy the company of loved ones, not to stress over plumbing emergencies. Understanding the common issues, taking preventative measures, and implementing temporary solutions before calling in the professionals can ensure your home remains a sanctuary of comfort and joy.