Plumbing Prevention Tips for Parties

For a flawless gathering (at least as far as the plumbing goes), follow these plumbing prevention tips:

1. Never ever pour grease, fat or cooking oil down the drain. At low temperature, oil will solidify and block the pipes. Keep your guests from using the sink at all if you can. Designate one or two cleaner uppers that can gather all of the leftovers. Whenever dealing with large amounts of food, we recommend giving your sink and garbage disposal a break by scraping the leftovers in the trash.
2. The installation of strainers on your drains will prevent the entry of soap scum, debris, hair, and other substances that may clog the pipes. Make sure that you have your drains covered with a drain strainer/stopper.
3. Don’t allow your guests to use the garbage disposal. Consider even placing a sign above the sink and/or taping off the garbage disposal switch with a piece of tape. When using your garbage disposal unit, use cold water and leave it on until everything has been ground up. After using, leave the cold water running for an additional 10-15 seconds. Doing so will help solidify any oils/grease and flush waste substances down the drain.
4. Never grind bones, carrots, banana peels, stringy food items, rice, pasta and chicken skin in your garbage disposal system. These items may stick to the components of the machine and jam it. When in doubt, throw it out!
5. To help clean and deodorize your garbage disposal, grind up some ice cubes and citrus wedges. This will naturally make clean your garbage disposal unit and make it smell better. We recommend doing this every month or so.
6. The washing machine is also an indispensable plumbing appliance that makes your daily life convenient. To prevent clogs in your main drain, make sure that you put a wire trap or pantyhose at the end of the washer’s drain hose. These things will catch the soil, dirt, and lint that flow out of the hose with the soiled water.
7. Condoms, cotton balls, cotton swabs, scrub pads, diapers, sanitary napkins, paper towels, cigarette butts, and even “flushable” wet wipes should not get flushed down the toilet. These things will totally block the pipelines and cause problems for municipal sewer systems. Regardless of how powerful your toilet is, the only things that should get flushed down the toilet are human waste and toilet paper. When hosting a party, consider placing a sign reminding your guests that only toilet paper should get flushed. Make sure you have an empty wastebasket available for everything else. If you are a guest at someone’s house, we recommend the “courtesy flush” to prevent the chance of a toilet clog and get rid of any offensive smells.
8. Consider removing items from your bathroom that you wouldn’t like flushed down the toilet, such as wet wipes and paper towels. Also, remove any items near your toilet that could accidentally fall in.
9. Make sure you have a working plunger and an empty wastebasket in your bathroom.
10. Slow drains signify a budding clog. Address the problem right away by cleaning the drains. But remember, don’t use drain cleaners with harsh chemical content. Try good old baking soda and vinegar instead. You can also use a plunger to clear large obstructions. When plunging a sink, fill up the sink halfway with water and use a cup-shaped (not flanged) type.

In case a plumbing emergency does occur, know where your main and individual water shut-off valves are located.

Party Plumbing Tips Recap:

• Only toilet paper and human waste should be flushed down the toilet.
• Leave an empty wastebasket and working plunger in the bathroom.
• Play it safe with your garbage disposal. When in doubt, throw it out.
• Designate one or two cleaner-uppers.
• Know where your water shut-off valves are located.
• Schedule a plumbing inspection before the event.

To ensure your plumbing is up to the task, schedule a pre-party plumbing inspection from the experts at Fix-It 24/7.

We hope you have a fun and disaster-free time with family and friends!

If, however you run into a plumbing problem or need more plumbing prevention tips, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Fix-It 24/7 Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric provides reputable plumbing services for Boulder and the entire Denver Metro Area, including drain repair, repiping, toilet replacements, leak detection, and much more! Call us now at (303) 214-0277 or schedule service online.