Keeping your drains healthy during the holidays is not something that most people think about, but it’s so important! The holiday season brings a lot of activities, which can lead to clogged pipes. Not only does this create an inconvenience for homeowners who are trying to get water flowing again, but it also increases the risk of sewage backups. If you want to avoid these problems, then follow our tips below.
1. Keep Drains Clear
The best thing you can do is prevent any problem from occurring in the first place. That’s why it’s a good idea to clear drains that have been unused for a long period. This includes showers, sinks, and even gutters. You should also pay attention to the outside drains around your house because ice and snow accumulation can slow down or stop the water flow. If you live in an area where flooding is common, then you might want to consider scheduling annual drain inspections with a licensed plumber so that they can check for problems before winter hits. For example, if your pipes are starting to rust, they could split under pressure created by iced-over storm drains on top of them during heavy rains and floods.
If you’re going to do it, then you might as well try and maintain the habit. Keeping drains clear year-round is not only about preventing clogs and backups but also maintaining good health for your home and yard. Sewer problems can often affect the rest of your plumbing system, so be proactive in taking care of them.
2. Drain Care Solutions
A good plumbing drain care product should go directly into any drain you regularly use: toilets and kitchen and bathroom sinks. These products will help ensure that sewage doesn’t back up if the pipes do spring a leak. They also break down grease and soap scum in your sink traps so that they don’t cause backups or clogs during the months ahead. This helps prevent sewage problems during snow melting events because it melts the blockages before they even have a chance to freeze.
If you notice some problems with drainage, you can use drain care products to keep pipes clean and free-flowing and help with insulation, which can make things like frozen pipes less likely during cold weather events. So, there’s no need to deal with icy pipes (or melted ice that causes damage to the walls and floors) during winter because you can add insulation while you’re doing other drain maintenance tasks.
Drain care products are an excellent choice because they break down sludge and grease inside pipe walls, ensuring that you don’t end up with nasty plumbing traps or drain problems. You can also use the products on tree roots to break them apart before they get too big and clog up your pipes.
3. Don’t Use Corrosive Chemicals to Clean Your Drains
When a drain is clogged, it’s tempting to try and break up the mess with corrosive chemical products. However, all of these options have been known to damage pipes, so they need to be used sparingly if at all — especially when temperatures start getting below freezing as this speeds up corrosion. If you’ve got a stubborn blockage, then contact a professional plumber rather than trying something yourself because you could end up with much bigger problems down the line.
4. Look for Signs of Trouble
Knowing what to look for when it comes to plumbing is a great way to prevent problems and big bills in the future. For example, if your basement or crawlspace is starting to feel damp, then this could be a sign that you’ve got potential problems on your hands.
Check for any leaks. One of the most important things that homeowners can do this time of year is check their homes for any water leaks around pipes and tubing around their property. If you’re not on top of these issues, then frozen or burst pipes are more likely. Even if you live somewhere that doesn’t get big snowfalls, there’s still a chance that you could be vulnerable, so it’s worth taking preventative measures now before the worst-case scenario strikes.
5. Use a Drain Guard
One of the most effective ways to make sure your drains stay clean is to add a drain guard during the holidays. This will stop debris from getting into your major sewer lines so that you can avoid costly drain repairs or even replacement work in the future.
6. Use Boiling Water Regularly
If you do a lot of cooking at home, it’s a good idea to use some boiling water from your kettle regularly. Just pour the boiling water into the drain, and this will help remove any food or other debris that could eventually cause problems with blockages.
7. Don’t Flush Wipes If You Can Avoid It
While they may be labeled as flushable, toilet wipes can cause serious damage to Sacramento sewer systems. These wipes don’t break apart like toilet paper, so they end up blocking things up and causing overflows, which sometimes lead to raw sewage spilling out into your home. We recommend sticking with toilet paper instead of wipes during winter, but if you have to use the latter, make sure to throw it in the trash rather than down the toilet.
8. Wash Pets Outside
We all love our furry friends, but the truth is that they can potentially cause major problems with your plumbing. One thing that can lead to issues in pipes is pet hair. Always make sure to have a pet bath outside to prevent dog and cat hair from clogging up your drains. You should also minimize the amount of pet hair that gets into your washing machine drain. You can do this by removing as much pet hair as possible from blankets and clothing before tossing them in the washer.
Let the Professionals Do the Hard Work
Don’t risk damaging your drains or pipes because you’re trying to save a few bucks by fixing the problem yourself. If you want to add insult to injury, it’s not just you who has to pay for the damage if things go wrong; blockages and backups can cause damage to public property too! Before starting any DIY project, contact a professional for help.
You’ll find everything you need on our site if you’re looking for drain care solutions, traditional water heaters, tankless water heaters, water softeners, or bathroom remodels this season. Forget about doing things half-heartedly with us at Huft Home Services. We have been serving Sacramento and the surrounding areas since 2004! In addition to plumbing services, we also provide a full range of services for heating and cooling systems. Our team even works with generators and EV charging stations and insulation. Your home is too important for anything less than stellar workmanship, so don’t settle for second best.
Ready to get started? Contact Huft Home Services in Sacramento today!
