Prepare Your Plumbing for the Holidays

It can be embarrassing when your plumbing fails with a house full of holiday guests. Many times plumbing problems can be caused by all those holiday guests! But instead of sending home your guests, Rescue Rooter has a list of ways to ensure that your plumbing system is ready for the holidays.

• Locate your main water shut-off valve and give yourself a refresher course on how to close it. Then make sure everyone else in the house knows as well. It could very easily mean the difference between inconvenience and disaster.
• Before guests come, turn up your water heater to increase its capacity—but make sure you don’t exceed 125°. A scalded guest is not a happy guest. Remember to turn it back down after everyone leaves so you don’t waste energy.
• Make sure you have a trashcan in every bathroom. That way guests won’t be tempted to flush facial tissues, baby wipes, cotton swabs or other items that don’t belong in your bathroom plumbing.
• Check the hoses on your washing machine, as it will probably get a pretty good workout. Look for cracks or loose connections in rubber hoses. You might even consider replacing them with flexible stainless steel hoses. They often come with a manufacturer’s lifetime warranty.