A plumbing emergency during holidays makes plumbers in Australia the busiest. Having extra guests visiting your home during holidays can potentially put extra pressure on your plumbing and system due to higher usage. This is why we put together a few tips to avoid plumbing emergencies this holiday season!

What to do to avoid a plumbing emergency

1. Prepare for holiday meals

Ensure the quality of your garbage disposal before get-togethers. Make sure that the unit is running smoothly so you won’t have problems on holidays especially on Christmas Eve and Day. Always run your disposal unit with cold water and never pour cooking oils or fats down the drain.

Here’s an article that can help you clean your garbage disposal: https://www.consumerreports.org/garbage-disposals/how-to-clean-your-garbage-disposal-a1060478189/

Also, it’s advisable to fill up your gas bottles before the holidays rush starts. Stock up on some spares and consider getting a gas inspection from a licenced plumber in your area. 

2. Prepare for house guests

Kitchen

For garbage disposal, avoid putting bones, coffee grounds, and grease into it. As stated earlier, always use cold water when flushing after every use. 

Remember to never pour oil, grease, or fat down your drains. Grease coats the inside of your pipes. It will accumulate and collect other stuff that goes through your pipe and create a clog. Transfer grease into a sealable container before throwing them out. 

Installing a screen on your sink drain can prevent non-food items from clogging your drains. 

Bathroom & Drains

The golden rule to prevent blocked drains in the kitchen and bathroom is to limit what you put in them. Ask your guests strictly not to put these things near your drains:

• Food – Whether it’s a huge chunk of chicken or mashed potatoes, food must never enter the drain. Put leftover food in a trash or compost heap.
• Coffee grounds – Throw them away in the garbage or add them to your mulch pile.
• Grease 
• Hair – Hair is the most common cause of clogged drains. Make sure to use a drain hair catcher in the kitchen and your bathroom. Another good way to keep your hair from clogging the shower drain is to brush it before taking a shower or bath to remove loose hair.
• Paint and paint thinner

Read more about blocked drains here: https://jmlplumbing.net.au/blocked-drains-how-to-prevent-clear-them/

It’s also best to place a bin in the bathroom to prevent guests from using the toilet as a trash can.

Inspect the toilet including handles, lift arm and chair, flapper, leaks in the tank and the bowl, etc. We also highly recommend you check your hot water system and inspect it to ensure there is no water leaking from an area that it should not be. 

Outside

Inspect your pipes, gutters, and downpipes, and see if there are blockages during heavy rainfall. Make sure that everything is cleared of all leaves and twigs. 

3. Prepare an emergency plumber contact

Having your go-to plumber is a must-have these days, so always keep in contact with your favorite plumber in Canberra.

4. Turn water supply off when traveling 

If you are traveling away from home for the holidays turn your water supply off at the water meter, that way in the unlikely event that a hose or burst pipe occurs it will not flood your home. 

CHOOSE JML PLUMBING & GAS FOR PLUMBING EMERGENCY

We don’t want to see you over the holidays (no offense), but if an emergency happens that needs a quick fix, we offer a 24/7 service for urgent jobs over the holiday season. Just call us and we’ll be there! 02 6193 4089