We all know how annoying plumbing issues can be, especially during the holidays when we're surrounded by family and friends. This year, make sure your pipes are in good condition before Christmas arrives. Taking preventative measures now will save you a lot of time and stress later on. Trust us, your loved ones will thank you for it!

Let's begin with the kitchen because this is usually where people congregate.

• Using a drain screen: By collecting food waste, these screens help prevent clogs in your kitchen drain.
• Garbage disposal: Even though "garbage" is in the name, it's not a trash can. So, you want to be sure to steer clear of letting foods such as eggshells, coffee grounds, meat and bones, starchy foods, fibrous products or paper go down the drain. When using your disposal, operate it with a constant stream of cold water running and wait about a minute after turning off the disposal before you turn off the water too. You may wonder why not to use hot water instead, but here's the deal: though hot water lets greasy substances break down and wash away, those broken pieces can end up coalescing and clogging your drain further down. With cold water, on the other hand, greasy substances solidify more quickly--which then lets them move down the drain more easily rather than sticking to pipe walls.
• Save the grease: Pouring grease, oils, and fats down the drain is a huge no-no. Over time, these substances can bond with other solids to create massive clogs. A much better idea is to collect cooking grease in a can or glass jar until it cools before placing it into the trash.
• Placing your leftover food in the trash: To avoid a clogged drain, always scrape food scraps from your dirty dishes into the trash. Even small pieces of food can cause build-up and eventually a blockage. After a big meal like Christmas dinner, the dishes seem to pile up quickly. You might be tempted to put on a dishwasher cycle while you continue washing other dishes by hand, but this can cause more problems down the drain. Typically, the dishwasher and garbage disposal share the same drain line. So, if you run your disposal or pour anything else down the sink while the dishwasher is cycling, it can push that waste right back into your clean dishes. And if your drains become clogged from all that extra waste you could end up with a flooded kitchen. 

The Bathroom

If you have guests over for Christmas, your toilets will probably get more use than usual. Make sure your guests know not to flush bathroom items that commonly clog household toilets:

• Feminine hygiene products
• Paper towels
• Wipes (even if they say flushable)
• Gum
• Cotton balls and swabs

Having multiple bathrooms available for guests during your holiday party will save your plumbing from being overused. Put a small garbage can in each bathroom to encourage your guest to use it instead of flushing trash down the toilet. The only things that should be flushed are human waste and toilet paper. If there are shelves above toilets in any of the bathrooms, make sure they are clear or that anything on them is securely fastened so nothing falls into the toilet by accident.

With more people in your house than usual, your kitchen and bathroom will likely get a lot of traffic. This means that minor problems that you would normally ignore can become serious issues quickly when you have visitors. By giving Duncan Plumbing a call today, you can prevent any potential plumbing disasters from occurring this holiday season. We'll fix any current issues and make sure that everything is running smoothly so that you can relax and enjoy the holidays stress-free!