DIY Plumbing: Holiday Plumbing Tips and Tricks


Our plumbing experts at Scott English Plumbing know that a well maintained plumbing system is essential during the winter season. The last thing that anyone needs is plumbing issues during this time of year. Especially when planning to host any holiday parties at your home or business. Our holiday plumbing specialists know what it takes to keep your plumbing system at peak performance and we want to help. This holiday season we have decided to give our customers an early gift and share some of our favorite emergency holiday plumbing tips and tricks that you can do yourself at home, straight from the pros.

Prevent Holiday Plumbing Issues

The holiday season is a time for friends and family. Unfortunately there could also be holiday plumbing repairs needed with all of the extra use of a home’s appliances. Your home’s plumbing system will be used more than usual with relatives visiting and all of the delicious holiday meals being prepared in the kitchen. Our team of plumbers want to make sure that you know what to do when disaster strikes or even how to prevent holiday plumbing issues. All of the extra showers, baths, and extra toilet flushes could add up to a potential plumbing nightmare.

Bathroom Plumbing

These are some of the best preventive measures that you can take to ensure that your bathroom’s holiday plumbing system survives this season. Having company over during the holidays is wonderful thing but the extra workload could prove tricky for your bathroom’s plumbing. Implement these tips and tricks to keep your bathroom running smoothly during the holidays:

  • Spread showers throughout the day, we recommend waiting 10 minutes in between each shower.
  • Raise your water heater slightly to keep enough hot water, don’t exceed 125 degrees to avoid scalding.
  • Combat low water pressure by removing mineral deposits. To do so pour a cup of vinegar into a plastic bag, place it over the shower head, tie the bag in place, and let it soak over night. In the morning remove the bag of vinegar and scrub off the mineral deposits with an old toothbrush to restore the flow of your water.

Kitchen Plumbing

Your kitchen will also see an increase of use with all of the food prepared during the holidays. With all that tasty food and baked goods come a mountain of dirty pots and pans. Washing dishes can be a drag so don’t make it any worse with a clogged drain over the holidays. Here’s what you can do to prevent a potential problem in your kitchen sink:

  • Steer clear of pouring fats or cooking oils down the drain because liquid fats solidify inside of pipes and create clogs. We recommend wiping congealed grease from pots to prevent a clog.
  • Do not ever put hard-to-grind, stringy, fibrous waste into the garbage disposal. These items include carrots, celery, banana peels, pumpkin pulp, and poultry skins. A garbage disposal will not be able to break these items down enough and they will just end up clogging your kitchen sink.
  • Before using your garbage disposal run cold water down the drain for around 15 seconds and another 15 seconds afterwards to flush waste down the main line.
  • We recommend that you use your dishwasher and washing machine at night or during off times to help preserve hot water and keep enough water pressure for your guests.

Contact Us For Emergency Holiday Plumbing

If all else fails do not panic, you can always reach out to the trusted team at Scott English Plumbing. Our holiday plumbing specialists will be able to fix any of your holiday plumbing issues as soon as possible. We are available 24/7 so give us a call at the first sign of a problem during this holiday season.