It’s the 4th of July, Independence Day, and that means it’s time to party. If you happen to be hosting a 4th of July event, you have a lot of preparing to do.
This includes buying groceries, paper plates, decorating the yard, putting together various dishes, and last, but not least, getting your home’s plumbing ready to accommodate your guest’s needs.
The following tips can help you to avoid plumbing-related problems that can certainly put a damper on 4th of July festivities, if not ruining them entirely.
But don’t worry; by following the advice outlined in more detail below, you will be in good shape for the 4th.
Kitchen Sink Clogs are Avoidable
Sinks are sturdy, generally speaking, but they are not indestructible. The evening of July 3rd is not the right time to test your garbage disposal’s limits by seeing how many food scraps it can handle at once.
We’ve all dealt with the mess of a clogged sink. Turning off the disposal, and reaching into murky water to try to clear the clog with your bare hands. Don’t risk it, plain and simple.
Have a plumbing expert take a look at your sink and disposal to make sure everything checks out. Then, be sure not to overdo it with the number of vegetable peels and solid food that you put down the disposal. Remember, only so much can be processed at once.
Lastly, have grease traps available to protect your sink’s plumbing. A well-meaning guest can easily pour a tray of hot grease down the drain without realizing the potential damage he or she may have just caused. Grease traps are affordable, easy to clean up after, and an excellent way to protect the sink.
Protect Your Toilets From Guests
This may not be the most glamorous part of party planning, but let’s face it: your guests are going to need to use the facilities, and the more guests you have, the more likely it is that one of your toilets may become clogged.
How to avoid an embarrassing mess and unpleasant cleanup? As part of stocking your bathrooms for your guests, you make sure there are plenty of rolls of toilet paper, some air freshener, a full dispenser of hand soap, a brush, hand towels, and a variety of cleaning products under the sink to keep the bathroom spotless.
Well, do not consider your bathrooms to be fully stocked until you have a plunger next to every toilet in the house because let’s face it - clogs happen. You can purchase a discreet holder if you wish, just as long as the plunger is readily accessible. Remember, when some people encounter a clogged toilet an do not have a plunger nearby to do battle with, they panic.
A common response, instead of shutting off the water to the toilet, is to continue attempting to flush whatever is causing the clog, which typically results in the toilet overflowing, making an even bigger mess, embarrassing your guest and temporarily eliminating a usable bathroom that is no longer available for anyone else to use.
Where Is Your Shutoff Valve?
The shutoff valve that controls the water supply to the entire house is important to familiarize yourself with. It can stop uncontrolled leaks and prevent flooding instead of allowing water to rush into your home until help arrives.
If you live in a community managed by an HSA, the shutoff valve may be held within a sort of metal cabinet that requires a tool to open. Sometimes, the valves are carefully hidden behind plants and flowers which, while aesthetically pleasing, can be extremely frustrating when you are desperately trying to shut off your water.
By following the above-outlined tips, your party this 4th of July will undoubtedly be a wild success, free of any annoying plumbing issues. If you need help, be sure to give our pros a call instead. We look forward to keeping you comfortable this summer.
