When friends and family come to visit for the holidays, it can create great memories, but it can also drastically change the daily routine that you keep at home. As you plan for your guests' arrival, there are many factors that you need to prepare in the home. One of these areas is the plumbing. With an increased amount of guests, there will be more showers, more use of the bathroom, and more dishes to clean. All of these elements factor into the basic plumbing of your home. Instead of waiting for a disaster to occur, you can take five preventative steps to have your home fully ready for the holiday season.

Drain Cleaning

Ensuring that your home has clean drains is essential for both sink and shower use. Instead of pouring harmful chemicals down the drain, a plumber in your local area can manually clean the drains out using professional tools like a plumbing snake. This will help remove hair, debris, and grease that has built up on your drainage pipes.

A video inspection can also be completed on your pipes to ensure there is no deterioration or major clogs through your plumbing system. Once the drains are cleared, you can have free flowing water through your home during the whole holiday season.

Sink Accessories

Guests that are visiting your home may be used to a plumbing system that is completely different than yours. For example, if a family member is used to a garbage disposal, they may be used to just throwing food down the sink drain. To help prevent this from accidentally happening, you can purchase sink accessories to help cover drains. In the kitchen, drain strainers can help capture food particles and ensure that they get thrown in the trash.

In the bathroom, the same type of strainers can be used in a tub to capture excess hair and soap chips. This can make a huge difference on the debris that gets piled up in the drains.

Water Filter Changes

If your water system includes interchangeable filters, then you should change out those filters before the guests arrive. This will help give your home cleaner water, better cooking water, and good water to cook with. Complete these changes a week or so before your guests are scheduled to arrive. This will ensure that your water system is flowing evenly and cleanly before they show up.

Improved Toilet Water Flow

Scheduling an appointment with a plumber can also help improve the water flow in your home. One of these main areas is the toilet in your home. Guest room and alternate bathrooms may get a lot more use. If the toilet leaks waters or flows unevenly, then you could be wasting gallons of water everyday.

A plumber can ensure that a toilet flushes quickly and refills when it's supposed to. Parts of the toilet like the ball and chain may be replaced to help improved the flushing mechanism. A majority of this toilet work can be completed with a single appointment.

Water Heater Inspection & Draining

As the amount of people increase in your house, so does the need for hot water. Extended showers, dishes, and cooking all need the use of hot water. To help increase the flow of hot water, you can hire a plumber for a water heater inspection and draining. As the hot water heater is used, sediment builds up on the bottom of the tank. This can hinder the amount of hot water available to your home. A plumber can drain the hot water heater, remove sediment, and ensure that the heater is fully clean. This will ensure that your guests have enough hot water to fully enjoy their stay and multiple showers.

These various tasks should become a part of your annual routine to help ensure that your home runs smoothly. Contact a professional plumber, such as those at A Absolute Plumbing & Heating, and set up an appointment today to get you through the holiday season and rest of the year.