Major plumbing emergencies can happen at any time, especially if you don’t watch out for early warning signs. Plumbing emergencies are particularly common during the holiday season. Having guests over to the house and using the kitchen more than usual to cook holiday meals can really tax a plumbing system. This additional workload can lead to minor hidden issues suddenly becoming much more serious and requiring you to call an emergency plumber. Improper use, i.e., not being careful about what goes down drains and toilets, can also quickly lead to a major problem arising that prevents you from being able to use certain fixtures. In serious cases where there’s an issue with your sewer line, you may not be able to use your plumbing whatsoever until you get professional help. Luckily, most plumbing emergencies are almost entirely preventable with the appropriate precautions.
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Clogged Sinks
Clogged sinks are always a result of things getting flushed down the drain. Food scraps often get stuck inside the P-trap under the drain instead of being flushed all the way out through the drain and sewer system. This causes a blockage in the trap that restricts the flow of water, resulting in slow draining that leads to other solids getting stuck within the trap. In just a short time, the trap can become so obstructed that the sink completely clogs. The best way to avoid these clogs is to make sure all plates, pots and pans get scraped into the trash before going into the sink and always use a sink strainer.
Pouring oil, fat and grease down the kitchen sink is especially problematic. These substances tend to cling inside pipes, creating a sticky coating that can trap any food particles that go down the drain. The coating will continually build up to the point where the drain constantly clogs. Properly disposing of fat, oil and grease in the trash and fully wiping off greasy items before they go into the sink helps avoid major problems.
Overworked Garbage Disposals
Overusing your garbage disposal or not using it properly also creates a high risk of the sink clogging. The biggest mistake you can make with a garbage disposal is thinking that it can handle any type of food. Garbage disposals work by grinding or pulverizing everything into small pieces. If you put items like potatoes and potato peels, pasta, rice or any other starches and grains into a disposal, they just get ground into a thick, sticky paste that can quickly clog the disposal or the drain. Any type of meat can also lead to a clog due to how tough it can be for a disposal to grind up the fibers.
Clogged Toilets
Another issue you definitely want to avoid during the holidays is a toilet getting clogged. You can usually clear a minor clog by repeatedly plunging the toilet. The only effective solution for a major clog is to have a plumber snake the toilet drain. Toilet clogs are another problem that almost always results from improper usage, such as using too much toilet paper or flushing items other than toilet paper and human waste. The biggest concern when a toilet clogs is that it will likely overflow if someone tries to flush it again, resulting in an unpleasant mess.
Making sure there’s a plunger in every bathroom is always important, especially when having guests over. You should also make sure to have a trash can in each bathroom so that people can properly dispose of items like wet wipes, feminine hygiene products, makeup wipes and cotton pads. It’s also a good idea to remind everyone not to flush anything they shouldn’t.
Sewage Backups
The absolute worst plumbing issue you can encounter during the holidays is your sewer line getting blocked. A blockage results in all of the water and waste that goes down drains and toilets backing up inside the sewer line. At some point, the line will get so full that sewage starts coming back out of whichever drains in the house are at the lowest elevation. If the line is completely clogged, sewage will come out of these drains every time you use any plumbing fixture. Even a minor blockage can lead to gallons of wastewater flowing out inside the house any time someone showers, drains the bathtub or runs the dishwasher or washing machine.
Sewage backups can also pose a serious health risk, as sewage often contains E.coli and various other harmful pathogens. The other concern when you’re sewer line starts backing up is that you won’t be able to use your plumbing until you can get the problem fixed.
The most common causes of sewage backups are pouring fat, oil and grease down the drain and flushing items like wet wipes and sanitary products. Even if you use so-called flushable wipes, they can quickly lead to major sewer problems. There really is no such thing as a flushable wipe. The term flushable just means that they shouldn’t clog the toilet. When you flush any type of wipe, the force of the water often isn’t sufficient to carry the wipe all the way out of the sewer line. Once even one or two wipes get stuck in the line, they then create an obstruction that blocks everything else from draining away.
You’ll usually see certain signs of a sewer line issue before it leads to the line backing up. Slow drains and toilets, incomplete flushing, gurgling sounds from drains and toilets and sewage odors in bathrooms and kitchens all indicate that your sewer line is at risk of backing up. As such, if you notice these issues throughout your house, it’s essential to have your sewer line inspected and cleaned before the holidays. If your sewer line starts backing up, call an emergency plumber and avoid using your plumbing until they arrive.
No Hot Water or Not Enough Hot Water
Having guests staying over during the holidays and doing more dishes and laundry than usual puts extra strain on a home’s water heater. The added workload can exacerbate existing problems, leading to the water heater breaking down or not working effectively enough to meet the increased hot water demand.
One way you can avoid issues and help ensure you have sufficient hot water for all of your needs is to regularly flush your water heater to remove all the sediment inside the tank. Over time, sediment buildup creates issues that can lead to inefficient heating, temperature fluctuations and the hot water running out more quickly. Scheduling professional water heater maintenance allows you to identify and fix any potential problems.
How We Can Help
Honest Home Services LLC has the expert services and solutions to help you prevent and overcome holiday plumbing emergencies. We’re a family-owned and -operated company that prioritizes Christian values and fully focuses on honesty, integrity and 100% customer satisfaction. From drain cleaning and sewer services to water heater maintenance and repairs, we have what it takes to ensure your plumbing is in good condition. If an emergency does arise, you can count on us for help 24/7. To schedule service in Flower Mound or the surrounding areas, contact us today.
