Is Your Plumbing Ready for the Holiday Season?

While the holiday season can be a lot of fun, you’ll want to ensure that your plumbing fixtures stay in top shape. During winter, your plumbing system will likely experience more stress. Even minor inconveniences like leaky faucets can cause significant water damage.

So before guests arrive to enjoy some home-cooked holiday meals, take a moment to check your plumbing systems. Of course, you’ll want to hire a plumber in Athens to take a look for the best results. However, below we list some tasks you can do yourself.

Check Your Showers and Hot Water Heater

During the winter season, your showers will probably run more. As a result, you’ll need plenty of hot water, from going to family gatherings to having friends and families over.

Make sure your water heater can handle more showers. Issues like no hot water or rusty water can happen during the holiday season. Check the water pressure of your showers too.

Check Your Washers and Dryers

You may also find yourself washing and drying more clothes during the holidays. Inspect your washing machine’s hoses for signs of cracking. Check your dryer’s exhaust fan, as excessive lint can quickly become a fire hazard.

Check Your Kitchen Sink

Your kitchen sink and its drain will likely be working overtime. The holidays mean more dishwashing and greater use of your garbage disposal.

Be sure to resolve garbage disposal problems and ensure your kitchen sink has running water. To prevent a clogged sink, never pour hot grease down your drain, and don’t place bones inside your disposal.

Inspect All Your Guest Bedrooms

You may hardly use your guest bathrooms until the holidays roll around. This low usage means some problems can slip under the radar. You should check for the following issues:

• A Blocked Toilet
• An Over-running Toilet
• Leaking Pipes
• Only hot or cold water
• Clogged Sink Drains

Check Your Basement

For some, the basement provides an extra hangout space. However, many homeowners may only use their basements for laundry or storage.

While we often overlook our basements, they provide many essential functions. For example, your septic system or house sewer line might be in the basement. When hiring a plumber, have them check for the following problems:

• Burst pipes
• Septic tank failure and sewer backup
• Sump pump failure
• Clogged drains
• Water line damage

Set Some Ground Rules for Your Guests

Setting some ground rules for your guests can go a long way, especially if they have children. Some ground rules you can set for your guests include:

• Not using too much toilet paper
• Limit their water usage
• Not putting unwanted food items down the faucet drains