5 Tips to Keep Your Christmas Merry and Avoid a Plumbing Emergency

After spending money on Christmas presents and Christmas food the last thing you want is to have to pay for an emergency plumber call out during the Christmas holidays! We do actually see a spike in call outs for emergency plumbing over the Christmas holiday period and most of them could have easily been avoided. A plumbing emergency needs to be fixed and we can get to you ASAP 24/7 – 365 days of the year. But here is our plumbing advice on avoiding plumbing emergencies before they happen and save yourself some bucks!

Christmas can be stressful even sometimes without adding a blocked toilet on Christmas day when you have a household full of people!! Follow these 5 tips to avoid a plumbing emergency over the holidays. 

1. Don’t pour any fats down the sink 

This is a no-brainer for us plumbers as we see the inside of pipes every day. And fats are notorious for clogging and blocking a sink. It may seem like a quick way to get rid of that Christmas pan oil but when it hardens and begins to smell in your sink drain it will be the ghost of Christmas past coming back to haunt you! Let the fats cool down and pour into an empty glass jar. If you do this over the sink, put aluminum foil over the plug to catch any drips or leaks. Alternatively let the fats solidify and then scrape into the bin.

2. Put a bin in the bathroom 

Make sure all your toilets and bathrooms have a bin. Sounds simple but the last thing you need is a guest flushing a sanitary product down the toilet. Without a bin in the bathroom this is where they will go. Give guests a discreet way of disposing of these items. Blocked toilets are not a Christmas gift anybody wants!

3. Sink strainer for scraps

Christmas day food is always delicious and plentiful. People fill their plates with their eyes and often their bellies can’t finish it all. So either take the lid of your bin to scrape the plate into or put a strainer in the sink and scrape the plate directly into that. Stop drains getting blocked with food waste and causing an emergency plumber call out. 

4. Put our number on the fridge

We offer Christmas callouts any time day or night -1300 768 457.

We hear from people calling us in an emergency that they have called other Melbourne plumbers advertising 24-hour emergency call outs, but they don’t answer the phone! Our trained emergency plumbers will come to your home day or night. The first thing we do is give you advice over the phone to prevent any further damage while we are on the way. So, whilst this isn’t advice on how to avoid a plumbing emergency it will have you prepared in case of one. It’s extremely stressful watching water overflow in front of your eyes and having your mobile ring out with no answer! 

5. Get handy with some DIY plumbing emergency hacks

If you have an overflowing toilet or blocked sink try these DIY hacks before calling us to see if you can fix it.  

How to Unclog a Toilet 

Try to unclog the toilet yourself before you call out a plumber and spend money. Often simply pouring hot water into the toilet will unclog it. This is of course after you have tried using the plunger! This can work if the reason for the blocked toilet is toilet paper and human waste. 

1. Turn off the flow of toilet water, either by the valve at the back of the toilet or removing the cover on the toilet tank and disconnect the valve chain. 
2. Fill a cup or jug with boiling hot water.
3. Pour down the toilet.
4. If not working add some soap to the hot water to make it soapy.
5. Use plunger to unclog.

If this doesn’t work, then give us a call straight away to help. It may be that you need our drain hoses to clear the issue. 

Unclog a Sink Drain

This is a really common plumbing problem but often easy for people to fix. We recommend actually keeping baking soda and vinegar in your cleaning supply cupboard, as they are the go to products for DIY plumbing hacks! 

1. Pour baking soda down the drain (amount varies but usually a cup)
2. Pour vinegar over the baking soda. (Try half a cup). 
3. Wait 5 minutes and then pour a cup of boiling water down the drain.
4. Use a plunger and check if the sink is now clear.
5. If less blocked but still not completely clear, then repeat the process. 

The chemical reaction between the two products will aid in loosening any debris and food causing the clog. If after a few attempts the drain is still blocked, then it’s time for a Plumber. 

Leaking Pipes Under the Sink

Before you call an emergency plumber for leaky pipes under the sink try this hack. 

1. Turn off water – either at the valve or main turn-off valve. 
2. Place a bucket or container underneath the pipe connection to catch the water.
3. Use a monkey wrench to loosen the thread on the pipes and disconnect them.
4. Put Plumbers tape around the threads in a clockwise direction.
5. Reconnect the pipes. 

You will find plumbers tape at any hardware store and it’s a good idea to have it in an emergency plumbing kit along with baking soda and vinegar. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

If all else fails, then our experienced emergency plumbers are happy to help. We will be there asap and can keep your Christmas merry with flowing water and flushing toilets!!

Need An Emergency Plumber in Melbourne? 

We are open 24/7. 

If you’ve got a plumbing emergency, then contact us immediately on 1300 768 457