Preparing Your Plumbing for Your Holiday Travels

Winter is a popular time for travel, with nearly 100 million Americans going to visit family during the holiday season each year.  If you happen to be hosting a large family gathering, one thing you may not think twice about is your home’s plumbing system.

With all the extra usage due to cooking large meals, having relatives take showers or simply an increase of flushing frequency, your plumbing system is going to be subjected to more rigorous usage than it’s accustomed to experiencing.

Winter Brings Cold Weather

Along with winter also comes cold weather, which can be extra hard on your pipes, sometimes even causing them to freeze up and burst. Dealing with burst pipes while out-of-town visitors are staying at your house is certainly one of the last things anyone wants to even contemplate.

The risk of freezing pipes is actually double for families who will be traveling rather than hosting a holiday gathering. You really don’t want to receive that horrifying phone call from a friend or neighbor alerting you to the fact your home is experiencing a plumbing emergency while you are hundreds if not thousands of miles away. Even worse yet would be coming home to discover your house flooded because your pipes burst while you were on vacation.

This is unfortunately common because a lot of people traveling for the holidays turn down their thermostats too low, which during winter nights could result in frozen and burst pipes.

Whether you are planning on staying home or traveling, you should definitely plan on taking some precautions to ensure your plumbing system is up to snuff in order to avoid any emergency situations.

Tips for Winter Travelers

If you will be gone for an extended period of time you may want to turn off your home’s main water valve to avoid a flood in case of an earthquake or a general leak.

If a drain goes unused for a good period of time it can start to smell bad, so having your drains hydro-jetted by a professional or at least pouring an environmentally friendly cleaner into your drains is a good idea before you leave for your travels.

A broken sump pump can mean a flood, so testing your pump before you leave is another smart thing to do. You can do this by pouring water into the pit and making sure the pump automatically starts to run. If it is not acting properly, double check it is plugged in and receiving power. If a problem still persists you may need to have it fixed or replaced.

Plumbing Services in Seattle

If you really want to maximize your peace of mind during your holiday travels, your local Seattle plumbing pros at South West Plumbing would be happy to provide a consultation and help you understand what you may want to fix ahead of time and how best to avoid costly, embarrassing plumbing mishaps. They’re also the friendly, certified plumbers to call for help with any plumbing issues, from drain cleaning to installing water heaters. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!