It’s the holidays! Everyone’s abuzz, gathering with friends and family, preparing food, coming home for holiday celebrations. However, ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ might not be so wonderful for your home plumbing systems. In addition to the usual winter strain on your pipes, the holidays bring abnormal usage and wear on your plumbing. 

But why are the holidays hard on your pipes, and what can you do to help? We’ve got the inside scoop you need to give the gift of preparation to your plumbing this holiday season. With a few simple proactive steps, you can avoid ruining Christmas – at least from plumbing issues. Here’s everything you need to prep your plumbing for the holidays.

What are the holidays without good decorations? For your exposed pipes and faucets, the required decorations are insulation and protective instruments against the cold. Florida Winters are typically mild, but a few freezing days still sneak in. If you haven’t already, deck your outdoor faucets with winter covers to guard against the chilly air and freezing fixtures. 

For non-gathering areas, like your basement or crawl space, cover your exposed pipes with insulation or heat tape to protect them from frigid temperatures. Installing insulation only takes a few minutes, but it can save you a major headache later on. Faucet covers and pipe insulation can be found at your local hardware store, or you can ask a plumbing expert at J.W. Freeman to help prepare your pipes for the holidays. 

As you decorate the tree with lights and ornaments, don’t neglect your winterization decorations!

It seems from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, the kitchen is always open and in a tizzy. With the big meals and large gatherings, not to mention all the holiday baking, the kitchen sink and disposal will be under heavy fire. Be kind to your disposal and watch what you put down the drain. Remember, coffee grounds, potato peels, and small debris do not go down the disposal. These items are too small to get caught in the blades, and they will build up in your drain. At best, this will cause a funky smell in your kitchen. At worst, it could mess up your disposal or clog your pipes. 

After a month of cooking, be sure to give your disposal a thorough cleaning to remove any leftover garbage particles. Periodically, clean out your dish disposal with half a lemon, ice, and running water. Doing this every now and then will help freshen up your kitchen and keep your disposal blades nice and sharp. 

Holiday Pro Tip: If your disposal stops entirely, try the manual reset button, typically located on the bottom of the disposal. If that doesn’t do the trick, one of our local Gainesville plumbers can help you out.

While everyone makes their way home for the holidays, make sure your pipes are ready for the added use. More people means more toilet flushes, more showers, and more loads of laundry. All that additional water usage can significantly impact your utility bill. If you have a leak or cracked pipe, this issue could be compounded tenfold. Address any leaks or drips before they become a bigger problem with the extra use. 

As you inspect for leaks, don’t forget the cabinets, toilet areas, crawl spaces, and basement. Any sign of a leak should prompt a call to the plumber.

Speaking of additional use, the wear and tear on your hardware could be too much to handle for your plumbing. Before everyone gathers together, update your plumbing with new seals, gaskets, and washers. This helps keep things flowing the way they should throughout your holiday celebrations. 

The holidays are a busy time, and the last thing you want to deal with is a plumbing issue disrupting your celebrations! If you need assistance with winterizing your pipes, checking for leaks, or tackling any plumbing concerns, J.W. Freeman Plumbing is here to help. Contact us today to schedule your service. Let us handle your plumbing, so you can enjoy the season stress-free.