How do you avoid holiday plumbing emergencies? If your commercial property is like most in Chicagoland during the holiday season, it’s a hectic and busy time. The food preparation area plumbing takes a real beating, and if you’re hosting large work parties, your bathroom is also going to see extra usage, which can lead to some plumbing emergencies you weren’t expecting.

You want to focus your energy on keeping your company running as usual, not fixing a backed up toilet or sink. So, check out these 8 suggestions to avoid those situations?

1) Check your garbage disposal

Your garbage disposal is your greatest ally in the food prep area. You might have developed a great habit of throwing as little compostable waste down your drain as possible, but will your workers follow in your footsteps? Let them know you appreciate their help in the kitchen and give them a reminder of what goes in the compost bin and what can go in the sink.

By having your garbage disposal inspected, you can make sure that it will be able to keep up with the extra usage your kitchen gets over the holidays. Call your plumber now and have them come out before they get busy this holiday season.

2) What not to put in your drain

The big no-no in drain maintenance is oil and grease – they should never be deliberately poured into your kitchen sink drain (or any other drain for that matter). From bacon grease to cooking oil, once it has cooled, it needs to go into your trash, not your drain.

Rice, coffee grinds, egg shells and pasta are also clog creators, so make sure none of these ever go in the drain. Finally, turkey is a popular item on the menu, but make sure you never put turkey bones or skin in your drain. Furthermore, peels from your vegetables and any other food scrap waste should never be introduced to your disposal – it’s not built for such things.

3) Run the water

When you’re using your garbage disposal, make sure you’re running water while it is in use. Furthermore, run cold water for 30 to 60 seconds after you’ve turned off the disposal. Avoid hot water because that can cause solidified grease to melt and coat the walls of your plumbing, eventually leading to a stubborn clog.

4) Toilet hygiene

With extra people in the commercial property over the holidays, there will be more stuff going in the toilet. You can avoid a clog by notifying your visitors (maybe even posting a sign above the toilet) that there are various objects that should go in the trash, not the toilet.

These items include facial scrubs, feminine products, cotton swabs and floss. In the best-case scenario, only toilet paper would ever be flushed down your toilet. This will help you avoid bathroom plumbing emergencies.

5) Dishwasher duties

Your wastewater from the dishwasher goes to your garbage disposal, which means you need to clean food waste off your dishes and utensils before you run the washer. Excessive waste can quickly cause a plumbing emergency.

6) Water heater issues

Your water heater is going to be a real workhorse over the holidays when your commercial property has an influx of visitors, which means if yours is old or hasn’t been inspected for a long time, it could be at risk of failing.

If you haven’t made the call to have it inspected, just make sure that you’re giving it time catch up after heavy use. You should see warning signs well in advance if it has a bad tank. For example, rust particles will make their way into your faucets.

7) Preventative maintenance

If you’ve got your plumber coming out to inspect your garbage disposal, you might as well take a proactive precaution and have them clean your pipes.

Over time, soap scum, hair, dirt, oil, grease and pretty much anything you put in your drains will begin to accumulate on the walls of your pipes. The holidays can be the “straw that broke the camel’s back” and set your nearly clogged drains into a full-on clog situation.

Emergency plumber near you

A professional plumber has many tools on their side that they can use to safely scour that grime away. For example, jet rodding services utilize a special nozzle that powers away all the debris, giving you the assurances you need that your commercial property on this holiday season isn’t going to be fouled by a plumbing emergency.

At Valley Fire Protection & Plumbing, we offer commercial plumbing services that will be perfect for keeping you emergency free this holiday season. Contact us today and let’s schedule a visit.

Related Topics: Emergencies // Holidays

By: Tom Hartel

I acquired my expertise by directing day-to-day operations of the business for over 20 years. Continuous hard work helped me become a nationally recognized speaker and expert on fire protection, fire sprinklers, special hazards, and plumbing systems. In this blog, I share my knowledge that will hopefully help you make better decisions for your projects.