Holiday Plumbing Tips: Avoid a Festive Disaster

The holidays bring family, feasts, and a lot of extra demand on your home's plumbing. More guests and more cooking lead to more plumbing calls this time of year than almost any other. Here's how to avoid becoming one of them.

In the kitchen

• Never pour grease, oil, or fat down the drain
• Keep fibrous scraps like potato peels out of the disposal
• Run the disposal with cold water
• Stagger dishwashing to avoid overloading drains

For guests

• Remind guests only toilet paper goes in the toilet
• Space out showers so the water heater can keep up
• Keep a plunger accessible in each bathroom

A little planning goes far

A quick check of your drains and water heater before the festivities can spare you a holiday plumbing emergency.