The holiday season is an incredibly hectic time of year. Between navigating crowded stores and buying gifts for everyone on your list, it can be easy to push regular home maintenance tasks to the wayside. However, you should certainly ensure your plumbing system is running smoothly so that you don’t encounter an inconvenient plumbing emergency when guests arrive.
Although it’s important to stock up on toilet paper and clean your toilets, there are more steps you can take to ensure your plumbing is in top condition just in time for the holidays. Fortunately, we have an easy-to-follow plumbing checklist for you.
Take a look at our plumbing checklist for holiday prep below!
Take Care of Your Drains
It’s not an overstatement to say that our kitchen sinks see a lot of action during the holiday season. Between guests washing their hands, scrubbing plates, and dumping leftovers into the garbage disposal, your sink drain can easily become overwhelmed. In the end, you might find yourself facing down a tough, nasty drain clog.
One of the best holiday plumbing tips is to perform a preventative drain cleaning. For instance, you can use a homemade drain cleaner to remove any grime, hair, or food particles that may have accumulated over time. These DIY mixtures are much safer for your plumbing than the chemical drain cleaners you find at the store.
One of the most common homemade drain cleaners consists of ½ cup of baking soda and 1⁄2 cup of vinegar. Simply pour these ingredients into the drain, let them sit for a few hours or overnight, then flush the drain with a pot of boiling water.
If you’re already dealing with a clogged drain, don’t hesitate to call your local plumber for a professional drain cleaning in Las Vegas. Drain blockages can lead to all kinds of plumbing problems, including water backups and foul odors, so it’s best to address them ASAP.
Freshen Up the Garbage Disposal
Are bad smells coming from your kitchen sink drain? If so, the problem could lie with your garbage disposal. Sometimes, food particles can collect on the underside of the splash guard, where they eventually start to rot and emit a nasty stench. You can clean this splash guard by scrubbing it with a toothbrush, warm water, and baking soda.
If you wish to be extra thorough, you can clean the disposal by grinding up a few lemon or lime peels. Although it might seem like a simple task, definitely consider adding this tip to your plumbing checklist for holiday prep. A few citrus peels can go a long way in cleaning and deodorizing your disposal!
Clean Your Plumbing Fixtures
We can’t discuss holiday plumbing tips without mentioning how important it is to clean your plumbing fixtures. Although it’s crucial to make sure your faucets, toilets, and showerheads are nice and spotless for your guests, you’ll want to clean them to remove any bacteria and germs that may be lurking.
Every plumbing fixture will have a different set of needs regarding how best to clean them. For example, you can typically use dish soap, warm water, and a soft cloth to clean faucets. If you’re struggling to remove a tough layer of grime, you might want to consider using vinegar and water instead.
Check for Plumbing Leaks
When going through this plumbing checklist for holiday prep, don’t overlook the importance of checking for potential plumbing leaks. Leaks can hide in many places throughout a home, which means they could be causing drastic water damage and increasing the cost of your water bills without you even knowing it. Leaks can happen behind your washing machine, within walls, beneath your kitchen sink, and more.
If you’ve been dealing with poor water pressure inside your home, a leak could be to blame. The very first thing you should do is shut off the water supply at your main water shutoff valve. You can also shut off the individual water valves throughout your home. Afterward, call your local plumber for leak detection. At Pure Plumbing & Air, we can provide you with a professional leak detection service to identify and fix the problem as quickly as possible.
As you can see, checking for leaks is one of the most important holiday plumbing tips. Don’t simply overlook high water bills, low water pressure, and other signs of this problem!
Schedule Water Heater Maintenance
When guests flood your home for the holidays, they expect to find hot water when they hop in the shower or even wash their hands after using the bathroom. Because of this, it’s crucial to ensure your water heater is running as smoothly as possible.
One of the most important holiday plumbing tips is to schedule water heater maintenance with your local plumbing company. During maintenance, a professional plumber will perform a series of tests and adjustments to ensure that the unit is working as efficiently as possible.
Avoid a Plumbing Disaster This Holiday Season!
Hopefully, this plumbing checklist for holiday prep helps you avoid a plumbing emergency during the most wonderful time of the year! Although we don’t experience frozen pipes in Las Vegas during the winter months, we can still encounter several problems that can lead to costly water damage and dangerous conditions if we’re not careful.
Whether you need help with a drain cleaning or leak detection in Las Vegas, NV, or the surrounding area, Pure Plumbing & Air is happy to help. Contact us to schedule an appointment today!
