Preparing your home for holiday guests is the best way to prevent unexpected disasters. While most homeowners do some extra tidying up and tackle minor repairs that have been on the back burner, they often forget about the strain additional guests put on their home’s plumbing system.

A clogged drain or a backed up toilet is a nasty problem that no one wants to deal with at any time of year, but these issues are even more frustrating during the already hectic holiday season. To avoid a plumbing disaster in your home this holiday season, follow these simple tips.

PREPARING YOUR HOME’S PLUMBING SYSTEM FOR THE HOLIDAYS

PREVENT CLOGGED DRAINS

Whether it’s a stopped up kitchen sink or a sluggish shower drain, clogged drains are frustrating and can really slow down your day. Unfortunately, additional usage during the holidays – especially when hosting guests – makes you more likely to experience a problem.

Before things get too chaotic, clean your drains using baking soda and white vinegar. Simply pour baking soda down your drain followed by white vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes or so before rinsing with hot water. This will remove a considerable amount of debris and lessen your chances of experiencing a clog.

Install drain strainers/hair catchers to keep hair out of your tub and shower drains. These handy devices simply fit inside the drain, and they catch hair, preventing it from causing disgusting clogs.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH HOT WATER

Does your water heater struggle to keep up with the demands of multiple houseguests? If you have an older heater that seems to be running out of hot water faster than before, it may be time to consider a replacement. Also, you might want to think about switching from a conventional water heater with a storage tank to a more energy efficient tankless water heater that provides hot water on demand.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR DISPOSAL

If you’ll be doing extra cooking this holiday season or hosting dinners at your house, take care of your garbage disposal. Remember not to treat it like a trash can, and only use it for appropriate foods. Bones, stringy vegetables, fat, grease and non-food items should never go in a garbage disposal. Remind house guests of this as well to avoid potentially costly garbage disposal repair.

PLUMBING REPAIR IN TORRANCE

If you have trouble with your home’s plumbing system this holiday season, Carter Services can help. We offer a full range of plumbing repairs in Torrance and the surrounding areas, and our friendly technicians are here to provide top-quality service. Whether you have a clogged drain, a leaky faucet, a broken water heater or any other type of plumbing problem, contact us for fast, dependable Torrance plumbing repair. Call (310) 872-1898 to request an appointment.