Preparing For Winter With A Drain Cleaning Services

The holiday season is fast approaching this year, and now is the time you would usually be preparing for dinner parties, festive events, drinks evenings, and more. Even if things might be a little different this year, there’s no reason to skimp on the annual drain cleaning service you would typically book if you live in Temple Terrace, FL. Enlisting a professional to ensure the additional strain of being home with family over the festive season doesn’t take its toll on your home’s plumbing system remains a crucial part of annual maintenance. Common issues your home may face during the holiday season may include:

• Frozen drains
• Fat, oil, and grease buildup
• Unpleasant smells from food blockages
• Leaks
• Drain grate blockages caused by debris

Any blockage is damaging to drains, but frozen drains can be more threatening than other types of obstruction. Even in Florida, the colder winter months can easily cause frozen drains. Frozen drains are problematic for several reasons; not only can water freeze up and crack your piping as the volume expands, but your home plumbing may also experience clogs due to the frozen surface preventing further movement of waste. A professional drain cleaning service can hydro jet and clear through blocked drains, not only cutting through dirt and debris buildup but also removing ice.

Fats, oils, and grease buildup are a primary cause of blockages and one of the primary reasons a lot of people invest in a drain cleaning service. These buildups are most commonly found in restaurant grease traps and locations that prepare food on an industrial scale. However, homes in Temple Terrace, FL, are not immune to the risks of fat, oil, and grease buildup, particularly over the holiday period when many large meals are typically cooked on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Grease traps are inbuilt into a lot of plumbing systems to prevent unwanted grease, fat, and oils from entering mainstream sewer systems. During colder weather, these unwanted materials congeal faster, causing large, hazardous blockages to form much quicker. Therefore, if you have a grease trap installed, continuing with a drain cleaning service and maintenance plan is vital for maintaining its functionality throughout winter.

A drain cleaning service is also effective at removing unpleasant smells caused by food blockages. Even if there isn’t a complete blockage, your drains are likely to grow some form of mold or bacteria that feeds off food traveling through your property’s plumbing if a regular maintenance schedule isn’t followed. If there are trapped particles in your drains, you may notice unpleasant and lingering smells start to develop, caused by the breakdown of trapped, rotting food being digested by growing mold and bacteria.

Lingering unpleasant odors that cut through your home when it’s usually filled with pine-scented candles, the scent of roasted Thanksgiving turkeys and other festive delights is a surefire sign that you’re overdue a drain cleaning service. Proactive drain cleaning can help you to avoid this situation before it arises.

Towards the latter end of the year, fall and wintry weather also cause debris buildups that commonly affect outdoor drainage. Falling leaves can be blown into drain grates, and debris like broken tree limbs can also cause untold damage.

Ways To Fully Prepare Your Drains For Winter

Sub-zero and generally cooler temperatures are well known for exacting a toll on plumbing systems, including pipes and drains. In winter, homeowners should take special care of fixtures that lie outside, e.g., outdoor faucets, sprinklers, pool hoses, and pipes in unheated areas, such as the attic or garage. A proactive drain cleaning can help to avoid the buildup of blockages in sewer lines and remove wintry debris, but there are also other ways that you can prepare your home plumbing for colder weather.

• Add Insulation

Insulation can effectively guard against frost damage and is often a surprisingly inexpensive measure. Pipes that will be in use throughout cooler weather can be prepared for winter by installing circular insulation, which can quickly be wrapped around at-risk pipes. The best time of year to arrange an inspection to determine whether any lines are at risk is during the months leading up to winter.

• Empty Water-Containing Structures

Pipes, drains, water-containing structures, and cisterns, should be emptied before winter if they’re not going to see action during the coldest months of the year. If you’re lucky enough to have a hot tub in your yard, for example, drain the water from pipes servicing this appliance, and empty the tub to prevent freeze-thaw damages occurring to expensive equipment. Hosepipes located outdoors or unheated areas can also be drained and placed into storage.

• Close Unused Valves

Faucets in any unheated areas that will not be in use over winter can have the indoor valves closed. Leaving the outdoor valves open will allow water to expand safely, as there will be a lack of pressurizations. If you’re unsure which valves to close or keep open, check with a professional plumber.

• Install or Repair Protective Measures

While the leaves are still falling, you’ll want to make sure that none of the material is consistently finding its way into your outdoor drainage system. You can look for leaves piled up over drain grates and arrange for a professional drain cleaning service to remove the blockage and help maintain clear drains, but you can also invest in drain protection. Drain protectors constructed from non-freeze plastics can guard your drains against water damage and also help to prevent errant material from building up inside the drain itself. Regular maintenance of protective drain covers will help to keep your lines debris-free throughout winter.

Why Choose Drain Flo Plumbing For Your Winter Drain Cleaning Service?

Rather than spending this special time of year stressing over issues with your plumbing, instead of enjoying time with loved ones, a proactive drain cleaning service in the fall can ease the likelihood of needing an emergency callout for a severe plumbing issue. However, if you do need last-minute assistance, Drain Flo Plumbing offers a 24/7 emergency service that can return your plumbing to peak operating condition at short notice. Even across the busy holiday season, our professional, licensed plumbers can be relied upon to serve your Temple Terrace home.