Thanksgiving dinner has been eaten, and now that it is over, the rest of the holiday season is upon us. Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Festivus are on the way. Whatever you celebrate, you should be aware that while this is a festive and magical time of the year for people, it can be a challenging time of the year for our drains and pipes. Colder weather, large holiday gatherings, and extended vacations all present seasonal threats. Thankfully, here at A&L Cesspool, our expert team has seen everything, so we have the expertise and experience necessary to advise you on how to prepare your drains for the holidays.
Prepare Your Drains For Holiday Gatherings
Holiday gatherings can lead to holiday clogs if proper precautions are not taken. Thankfully, these tips can help you prepare your drains for holiday gatherings and protect your system from festive blockages.
- Protect your toilets from trash: Put up signs in your bathrooms asking your holiday guests not to flush anything down your toilets but human waste and toilet paper. Additionally, you should place waste baskets in all your bathrooms to provide an alternative means of getting rid of non-toilet-safe waste like paper towels, feminine health products, and baby wipes.
- Upgrade your toilets: If you have an old or “low flow” toilet, you are at a higher risk for clogs during periods of increased use like holiday parties or extended family get-togethers. You can decrease the chance of a clog forming by upgrading your toilet.
- Drain screens: Install drain screens on your shower drains to prevent soap and hair from forming clogs in your pipes. You should also install strainers over your kitchen sink drains to prevent food scraps from causing clogs in your pipes.
- Avoid garbage disposal use: It is best to simply ask your guests not to use your garbage disposal to avoid misuse. Instead, direct them to place holiday food scraps and waste into the kitchen garbage or compost bin.
- Schedule an inspection: Get your sewer and drain system inspected by A&L Cesspool before hosting your holiday events to avoid unforeseen issues.
How To Prepare Your Drains Before Going On Vacation
The biggest threat your sewer and drain system will face while you are away on a holiday season getaway is that your pipes will freeze and burst. Here are a few tips to help prepare your drains for your absence and prevent that from happening.
- Winterize your vulnerable pipes: Get your vulnerable pipes winterized with insulation before leaving for your holiday season trip. Vulnerable pipes include outdoor faucets, pipes near outer walls, pipes in crawl spaces, and pipes inside attics and basements.
- Keep your thermostat at 55°F or higher: If you keep your thermostat at a minimum of 55°F or higher while you are away on vacation, this should keep your internal pipes warm enough to prevent any of them from freezing.
- Drain water from any outdoor faucets: Before going away for the holiday, you should drain water out of your outdoor hose faucets and open the valves to ensure that they are emptied completely. Once this is done you can also safely drain and store your garden hoses for the winter.
- Drain and shut off your main water valve: Locate and shut off your home’s main water supply valve then drain your tank. You can drain your tank by turning on all your home’s water taps simultaneously and flushing all toilets until their tanks are empty. You should also leave these taps open while you are away.
- Keep cabinet doors under any sinks open and shut other doors and windows: This strategy will keep your exposed sink pipes warmer and help further reduce the risk of pipes freezing.
A&L Cesspool is Here to Help this Holiday Season
If you need any help to prepare your drains for the holiday season, or with any sewer and drain needs, please reach out to A&L Cesspool so we can offer our assistance.
