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Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for plumbers due to the increased household activity, more cooking, and overworked plumbing systems. This often leads to grease blockages, food waste clogs, and burst pipes, especially on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Here’s why plumbers are swamped over Christmas and how you can avoid the nightmare of an emergency plumbing callout by taking a few simple precautions.

Increased Household Activity

During Christmas, households are busy with food preparation and festive meals, which puts added strain on plumbing systems. The volume of cooking increases significantly, leading to more grease, fats, and oils being poured down the sink. These substances can solidify in pipes, causing blockages that are difficult and expensive to clear. Along with grease, food scraps from large meals often end up in the drain, adding to the risk of clogs.

The festive season also sees increased use of dishwashers, washing machines, and other appliances, which means more food particles and grease being washed down the drain, further clogging up plumbing.

Tip: Avoid pouring grease, fats, and oils down the sink, as they can harden in pipes. Instead, cool, contain and dispose of grease. This means, cooling grease before disposing in the bin. Scrape food from plates into the bin and using a strainer to catch food scraps before they enter the drain.

Emergency Calls Are Common on Christmas and Boxing Day

Food waste and grease often clog drains, causing emergencies. Many homeowners call plumbers last minute, especially on major Christmas days, leading to delays and higher costs.

Emergency plumbing visits during Christmas and Boxing Day can cost 1.5 to 3 times the normal hourly rate.

Tip: Prevent costly callouts by disposing of grease properly and maintaining your plumbing system before Christmas.

Have Emergency Contacts Ready

Plumbing issues can arise anytime during Christmas, so keep emergency plumber contact information handy.

Tip: While emergency contacts are essential, preventing blockages will help avoid emergencies.

Properly Dispose of Fats, Oils and Grease

Pouring cooking grease down the drain might seem like an easy solution, but it can cause serious problems for your plumbing and the environment. As grease cools and solidifies, it sticks to the walls of your pipes, leading to blockages and potential backups. Over time, these blockages can cause costly repairs and, in some cases, even contribute to fatbergs in the sewer system, which can harm the environment and waste water treatment resources.

Tip: Dispose of grease the right way by following these simple steps. COOL: Let the grease cool slightly after cooking, CONTAIN: Pour the grease into a container such as a can or jar. DISPOSE: Dispose into the regular rubbish bin.

How to Keep Your Plumbing System Running Smoothly:

Insulate exposed pipes. Prevent freezing pipes by insulating them and letting a small stream of water run overnight.

Be mindful of what goes down the drain. Avoid grease, large food scraps, and other debris.

Dispose of grease properly: Cool, Contain, Dispose

Spread out water use. Run the dishwasher, washing machine, and showers at different times.

Regularly maintain your plumbing. Get a pre-Christmas inspection to avoid issues.

Get in Touch!

Grease Guardian is a leader in grease management technology, offering high-performance Automatic Grease Removal Devices for a variety of sectors, including hospitality, marine, and industrial. Learn more about our innovative solutions here

Stay tuned for more updates, tips, and industry insights on our blog.

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Grease Guardian UK and Ireland Phone: 028 3026 6616 | Website: www.greaseguardian.com

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