Whether it’s for a holiday, birthday, or a simple gathering among friends, hosting a party of any kind is a lot of work. Party hosts have to get their home clean, supply ample food and drink, ensure there’s sufficient seating, and keep guests entertained. During the party-planning phase, people are often so busy arranging everything else that they forget about preparing something else: their plumbing. Large gatherings of people put a considerable amount of strain on their plumbing systems. Don’t let a plumbing emergency ruin your next gathering. Protect your plumbing with these tips from the experts at Sunshine Plumbing and Gas.
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Set Out Trash Bins
As a general rule of thumb, toilet paper is the only thing that should ever be flushed down a toilet’s drain. Not paper towels, not feminine hygiene products, and not wet wipes (even if they claim to be flushable). Toilet paper is the one item that can be safely disposed of via your toilet. Unfortunately, a well-intentioned yet ill-informed guest may end up disposing of their trash by flushing it if there isn’t a clearly visible trash bin conveniently located somewhere in your bathroom. A simple mistake such as this can leave you one bathroom down and in need of clogged toilet repairs. Avoid this problem by placing trash bins in your bathrooms somewhere near the toilet.
Don’t Overuse The Garbage Disposal
A party, at least if you’re doing it right, entails excess amounts of delicious food, drink, and dessert. The only real downside to this is all of the dishes that will need cleaning once the party is over. When it comes time to wash your dishes post-party, don’t cram all of the uneaten food into your sink’s garbage disposal, instead scrape leftover food from guests’ plates into the trash. Keep in mind, garbage disposals aren’t designed to handle copious amounts of food back to back. In particular, forcing foods such as gravy, pasta, onion skins, potato peels, pitted fruits, and greasy meats down your disposal will inevitably result in a clog or damage to your plumbing system.
Adjust Your Hot Water Heater
If you’re hosting friends and family for the holidays, they may end up crashing at your place for a few days, especially if they’re visiting from someplace far away. Between the chilly weather that accompanies the holiday season and the visitors staying over, you’ll want to ensure there’s enough hot water for everyone to go around. In anticipation of the increase in hot water usage, go ahead and turn up your water heater (without exceeding 120 degrees) prior to your guests’ arrival. Doing this will increase your hot water capacity and ensure nobody has to suffer through a cold shower. Just remember to set your hot water back to normal once the holidays are over and everyone has gone home.
Having trouble getting your water to heat adequately? There may be a problem with your water heater. Contact us today to speak to an Ocala plumber about scheduling water heater repair!
Locate Your Water Shut-Off Valve
Hopefully you’ll never have to use it, but every homeowner should be familiar with the location of their home’s water shut-off valve. Even with all the preparation in the world, you still may find yourself dealing with an overflowing toilet, damaged pipes, or a leak. Unfortunately, the longer your home’s water stays running during a plumbing mishap, the greater the chance your home has of sustaining severe water damage. That’s why, in the event of any plumbing emergency, the first thing you should do is cut off the home’s water supply, and knowing where your water shut-off valve is will make accomplishing that significantly easier.