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How to Prepare Your Plumbing for the Holidays

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Holiday Prep… for Your Plumbing

You didn’t see that one coming, did ya? Well, you’re not the only one who needs to prep for the holidays. Whether you’ve got family visiting Portland, you’re heading out of town, or you’re just laying low with a good, old-fashioned staycation, your plumbing could definitely use a helping hand during the most wonderful time of the year. Read on to learn what you can do to ready those pipes for wintry festivities.

Get Those Drains Moving

This should be top of your list before any guests arrive because additional folks in your home will only make matters worse. For minor clogs, give baking soda and vinegar a shot and follow it up with a healthy pour of hot water. A plunger may come in handy, too — it’s our all-time favorite weapon against Koopa Troopas and mid-level clogs alike. For really stubborn clogs, though, or potential sewer probs, give Wolcott’s pros a call.

Protect Your Progress

In the drain department, that is. Once you’ve cleared your drains, you want to keep them that way for as long as possible. We recommend installing drain strainers in all of your showers, bathtubs, and sinks — kitchen, bathroom, and utility. These handy, little doodads come in many shapes and sizes, and basically just keep hair, food, and other jetsam from flowing down the drain.

Put Some Trash Cans in Your Powder Room

Yep, for real. Making sure that you have trash cans near your toilets (and maybe even some friendly notes reminding them not to flush anything but TP) will, in theory, keep problematic items like baby wipes and feminine hygiene products from going down the drain.

Double-Check Your Water Heater Temperature

We know we’ve mentioned this before, but your water heater’s max temp should be set to 120 degrees. Scalded is no way to be during the holidays (or any other time).

Going On Holiday?

Insulate those pipes, turn off your water, drain your pipes (turn on faucets and flush toilets), make sure your thermostat is set to 55 degrees, and have a very merry holiday!

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