3 Ways To Keep The Plumber Away After Thanksgiving For many people, the day after Thanksgiving is a time to relax or to start making a dent in the Christmas shopping. For the average plumber in Pittsburgh, it's the busiest work day of the year. Plumbing companies receive more calls on this day than any other day of the year because of the increased usage of home plumbing systems over the holiday. If you don't want to spend the extra money on unexpected plumbing issues, here are some tips for keeping your sinks, toilets, and water pipes in top condition. Schedule a Pre-holiday Inspection Are you planning on hosting guests at your home? Even just a few extra people can put a strain on your home's plumbing. If you haven't had your home's pipes and drains inspected recently, you may want to consider scheduling a pre-holiday inspection. During this inspection, a plumber will do the following: • Check the pipes under your kitchen and bathroom sinks for loose connections • Run a video camera through your pipes to check for blockages that have formed deep within the lines • Perform drain cleaning using either a drain snake or a service called hydro-jetting • Inspect your water heater to make sure the thermostat is working and set correctly • Clean the water heater to ensure it doesn't work harder than necessary due to sediment build up A pre-holiday inspection is a cost effective way to catch small problems and make repairs before they turn into huge events that require an emergency service call. Remind Your Guests to Be Mindful when Flushing Toilets clogged not only from overuse but misuse as well. While you may not feel comfortable pulling your guests aside and giving them a lesson in proper bathroom etiquette, there are less direct ways to get the point across. Create a fun but to the point note that politely reminds your guest only to flush septic-safe toilet tissue. Things like sanitary wipes, feminine hygiene products, paper towels, and diapers should never be flushed. These items can cause instant problems that can lead to a toilet overflowing and spoiling your holiday fun. You may also want to have your septic system inspected prior to guests arriving. If you've had problems with a toilet that continuously refuses to flush correctly, get this looked at before you have guests using the bathroom facilities. Not all routine inspection services include sewer line inspection. Therefore, you may need to schedule this in addition to the pre-holiday inspection mentioned above. Pay Close Attention to what Goes In the Garbage Disposal One of the reasons that the day after Thanksgiving is so busy for plumbers is because of the sheer amount of preparation that goes on in the kitchen for the big day. If you're hosting the holiday dinner, you're most likely preparing more food than usual. Additional food scraps like potato skins and onion peels can clog a garbage disposal quickly and make it impossible to use the kitchen sink. Cooking oils and fat from meat can also cause problems. Consider the following tips to prevent your kitchen sink from backing up: • Dispose of all vegetable peelings by placing them in compost or the trash can • Use the garbage disposal sparingly • Leftover food on plates should be scraped off into the trash can to avoid cooking oil and fat from clogging the pipes • Prepare food away from the kitchen sink to avoid accidentally dropping utensils, plastic bread ties, or other non-organic material in the garbage disposal Following these tips will not only keep your local plumber in Pittsburgh away from your home, but it will also give you peace of mind that nothing will spoil your post-holiday plans.