People love that we offer 24-hour emergency service for customers in the Essex, Passaic, Morris, and Bergen Counties. Still, we understand that nobody really wants to call a plumber or a heating technician during the holidays.
Maintenance is key to preventing system failures over the holidays. Your heating and plumbing systems may get a lot more use this time of year, so learn how to protect them and lower your chances of an emergency plumbing or heating visit in today’s post.
Your Plumbing Systems
When there are a lot of people in your home (like holiday guests), the plumbing systems take on a lot of strain. Your drains may collect waste quickly, increasing your chances for a drain clog. The pipes and the water heater takes on some extra work as well. Help keep your plumbing systems in the best possible shape.
- Let kids know about what can and cannot move down the drains. Children are most likely to be responsible when there are foreign objects flushed down the toilet or found lodged in the sink. Make sure kids know that certain items don’t belong in the drains, including “flushable” wipes (which usually aren’t).
- Remember the garbage disposal isn’t invincible. It is not designed to take on hard food items like meat bones and popcorn kernels. In addition, you shouldn’t put too much into the garbage disposal at once.
- Avoid fats, oils, and grease. Fats, oils, and grease may seem harmless, but they solidify when they cool down, clogging up drains. You may go through a lot of cooking oil and grease around the holidays, but do your best to pour these in a separate container and throw them away.
- Maintain your water heater. You may be able to turn the temperature down slightly to help reduce strain on the water heater, but call in a professional for a thorough heating maintenance visit.
A Well-Maintained Heater
Now onto the heater—a system you really don’t want to break down in the middle of your holiday party. Take these steps to keep your heater in the best condition possible and you can significantly reduce your chances of a heating system breakdown while improving energy efficiency.
- Change the filter. Changing the filter each month helps to keep air flowing smoothly throughout the heater. Do this every month to help prevent problems with the furnace and improve efficiency.
- Set the temperature efficiently. Set the temperature to something you can tolerate, but that is not so high that it damages your heating system. Turning the temperature up higher will not actually heat your home any faster.
- Schedule professional maintenance. Heating technicians can make sure that your furnace is in the best possible shape, making adjustments and cleaning components so that your system runs smoothly throughout the holiday season.
MarGo Plumbing Heating Cooling Inc. is here to help with all of your plumbing and heating needs in Montclair. Call our team for more helpful advice.