Nobody likes plumbing emergencies! They often occur at the worst possible times such as when you have family visiting or are entertaining friends. Sometimes emergency plumber callouts are unavoidable. Water leaks, burst pipes, and floods are all a part of taking care of a home – problems crop up all the time.

Emergency plumbing repairs can be costly due to the short notice and often unsociable hours that they require. However, they are necessary to fix a big problem that needs fixing before further damage is done.

However, did you know that many emergency callouts can be avoided? With some regular home maintenance, a good service schedule, cleaning, and care, homeowners avoid many issues.

Read on to learn our top tips on important maintenance steps to avoid plumbing emergencies.

Toilet Paper

Toilet paper is often the cause of no end of problems! If homeowners flush too much down the pipes, it clogs up the system. In all seriousness, toilet paper keeps getting thicker and stronger and that might seem like a great idea but if your toilet paper is thick and a lot ends up in your toilet bowl then you can start to clog up the sewage pipes. By considering the toilet paper you use and making sure everyone in your household knows not to flush too much at a time you can solve this emergency problem.

Moist Towelettes And Other Items

Similar to toilet paper but much, much worse. Many moist towelettes, makeup removal wipes, baby wipes, and more are not designed for flushing down the toilet. It doesn’t take long for these materials to clog pipes. Clogged pipes lead to plumbing emergencies. The solution is simple though, you just need to make sure that any moist towelettes you buy are suitable for flushing and don’t flush like makeup removal wipes,  baby wipes or other products such as sanitary products, cotton swabs, buds or cleaning clothes. Dispose of these in the trash instead.

Shower Drains And Bathtub Drains

Smelly drains and blocked up shower and bathtub drains are a common problem and many of us are guilty of not cleaning them out often enough. Drains can easily get clogged up with dirt and hair which leads to musty and foul smells but it can be worse. If your drain continues to back up you could end up with a much larger problem that requires more than a quick clean.

Cleaning drains isn’t a pleasant task but it is a necessary one if you want to avoid a clogged up drain. Regular cleaning should help and if you can, use a drain screen to trap all the long hair that is the usual culprit for clogging these drains. Rinse the screen after every shower or soak in the bath for clean and smell-free drains.

Garbage Disposals

Everyone suffers from blocked garbage disposals from time to time as it is so tempting to put everything into the disposal system as quickly as possible. If you want to avoid blockages then a top tip is to go slow! Put soft garbage into it slowly so you avoid backing the system up. Also, be careful what you put into your garbage disposal. A simple way to remember what can’t go into the garbage disposal is that if it is too tough to cut with a knife or is too stringy then don’t put it in and put it in your food waste or trash instead. These are things like bones, peanut shells, vegetable skins, and seeds.

If you take care of your garbage disposal unit then it is a fantastic appliance to have available but these can be tricky things to take care of so make sure everyone in your household is aware of what to put down it and what to throw in the trash.

Prepare For Cold Weather

Winter freezes are among one of the biggest culprits for burst pipes. However, you can help by making sure your pipes are maintained and ready for winter. Outdoor taps and sprinkler systems need all water draining or blowing out and the pipes protected and any pipes that are likely to feel the cold can also be protected and winterized.

If you ever find yourself with a plumbing emergency, be sure to give us a call!