DIY Plumbing Fixes for the Christmas Season
The Christmas season is here once again. You’re probably thinking about guest lists, meals, presents, and planning — it’s enough to overwhelm everyone. However, many people often overlook one of the most important aspects of the holiday season: their plumbing.
Even the most well-maintained plumbing systems can get pushed to their limits during Christmas, as cooking, bathing, and extra guests take a toll on fixtures and pipes. As a result, you should know a few tricks and tips to fix minor problems. Before your guests arrive, familiarize yourself with these DIY plumbing fixes for the holiday season.
Shower Won’t Drain
Hair, soap, and other debris can quickly clog your shower drain. When you have more guests at the house, this situation is almost an inevitability.
The first step is to take off the drain cover. Once you’ve removed it, you can see in side the drain. This area is usually clogged with soap and hair, so remove it and see if that fixes the issue.
If problems persist, your clog is further down the drain. In this case, dump a pot of boiling water down the hole and follow that up with a plunger.
Avoid drain cleaners, as these can burn your skin, harm your pipes, and cause environmental damage over time.
Toilet Keeps Running
If you constantly hear running water from your bathroom, your toilet has some issues — but ones that are usually easy to fix.
Take the lid off the toilet tank. Inside, you should see the flapper that opens and closes to let water in and out, as well as a float, which is a rubber piece that ensures the water fills to the right level.
Ensure that the float is adjusted just below the overflow valve and not rubbing against anything. If that doesn’t fix the problem, your flapper probably isn’t sealing. Try moving it to create a seal; if that doesn’t work, you may need to buy a new flapper. Installing a new flapper is easy if you just follow the instructions on the package.
Kitchen Sink Is Clogged
As you prepare holiday meals, food and debris will inevitably get into your sink’s drain. After a day or two, this can cause a considerable clog — one’s that even a garbage disposal can’t remedy.
If this happens to you, try one of these solutions:
- Turn on the hot water and add a bit of dish soap to lubricate the block.
- If that’s to no avail, dump boiling hot water down the drain to eliminate the clog.
- If that still doesn’t work, use a plunger on the sink to dislodge the the clog.
Not a DIYer? Don’t Stress
If you’re not a DIYer, you may feel a bit of anxiety about solving plumbing problems on your own. But you’re surely not the only person who struggles with it.
Did you know at Express Plumbing in San Mateo we offer 24/7 service including holidays and weekends? You will always have a live person that answers when you call, and our technicians are glad to assist you whenever you need us.
For the non-DIYer, the only reasonable solution is to call our Bay Area technicians. We can diagnose problems quickly with our advanced plumbing equipment, provide adequate fixes, and even provide suggestions for preventive maintenance now and in the future. It’s a holiday failsafe that’s sure not to backfire.
Happy Holidays from our entire family at Express Plumbing, we look forward to helping you when you need any plumbing in the Bay Area.
