Whether you're hosting guests or will be away from home, follow these DOs and DON'Ts to prevent holiday plumbing emergencies and service calls.
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Avoid These Common Kitchen Culprits
In the kitchen, properly using your sink drain and disposal will go a long way in preventing holiday plumbing emergencies. Of course, appropriate disposal usage applies all year, but it can be crucial when it's working overtime during the holidays!
- DON'T pour fatty or oily substances down your drain; they can solidify in your pipes and cause clogging. DO pour oil and grease into an empty jar and dispose of it in your garbage.
- DO ensure the disposal runs before you try to use it; DON'T stuff food in the drain before turning it on.
- DON'T put stringy produce, especially celery, in the disposal. DO put it in the compost bin or trash can.
- DO run the disposal every time you put something in. DON'T allow food to build up and jam the disposal.
Protect Your Water System, Drains and Plumbing
Extra people in your home means more folks taking showers, flushing toilets, and running the washing machine. The additional activity can burden your water system, drains, and plumbing. Prevent those types of holiday plumbing emergencies by doing the following:
- DO wait 10 or 15 minutes between showers to reduce the chance of overflowing shower drains.
- DO install a screen on shower drains to catch hair before it goes down the drain, where it can clog the pipes.
- DO provide a trashcan in every bathroom; DON'T use your toilets for any products except toilet paper.
- DO run the dishwasher and washing machine at night to reduce the load on your water lines and improve water pressure for other uses.
Prevent Plumbing Emergencies While You Are Away
Don't think you're off the hook if you won't be home for the holidays. Even worse than having a holiday plumbing emergency when you're home is having one when you're not!
- DO keep your heat set to at least 55 degrees to avoid frozen pipes.
- DO turn off the main water in the house to reduce the chance of any unexpected leaks. Water moves quickly, and even a tiny leak can wreak havoc on an unoccupied house.
Keep Our Phone Number Nearby
Give us a call at (434) 296-9980, and our on-call plumber will respond quickly to resolve your plumbing problems so you can continue to enjoy your holiday!
Still have questions?
Real Reviews from Your Charlottesville Neighbors
See All ReviewsJulie D. (Charlottesville, VA)I can’t say enough good things!! We had an emergency, no AC during the 113+ heat wave on a Friday holiday afternoon (worst timing!!!). I called multiple companies and only Fitch called me back.
Larry was fantastic!! He kept me informed as to when he anticipated getting to us, and called when on his way, and showed up when he said he would.
He was, again, fantastic! Explained the issue and promptly fixed it. Our house was literally 98 degrees. Everything is running smoothly!
And, for an emergency call late on a Friday afternoon, the cost was incredibly reasonable.
I highly HIGHLY recommend their services. We now have them on speed dial and will absolutely be using them again for our needs, even for other services they offer we have yet to use.
Again, thank you Larry & Fitch Services from us and our pups - for being there when we needed you most and delivering exceptional customer service. 5 stars for sure!
Barbara M. (Charlottesville, VA)I am proud to say I have been a client of Fitch Services since they began. My family has always received courteous and timely service for plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and electrical issues. They have installed and maintain a whole house generator. That was a fantastic decision. I use their annual maintenance plans for all of my systems. I personally recommend Fitch Services.
John K. (Charlottesville, VA)I knew of Fitch Services and their technicians via my place of employment. The technician's honest and forthright approach to their work was very much appreciated... They were initially contacted to come to our residence to address a clogged kitchen sink drain line. It was suggested to us we replace the drain line instead of snaking it. When the old drain line was cut out and shown to me, it was amazing anything had gotten through that line! Glad we chose to replace it... We also inquired about replacing/updating all the galvanized supply lines in our home. The scope of the work needed and how it would be done was discussed to make sure we understood... We appreciated the honest assessment of how the project might or would go. While the technicians were on our project, they kept us updated with daily conversations towards the end of their working day. The finished project has been great! We were excited to finally have full flow of the hot water! Fitch is now our 'go to' plumber.
Tom P. (Charlottesville, VA)I've used Fitch for a few years now for both electrical and plumbing work. They are professional and do a great job on things both big and small. Twice we have had pretty huge jobs and they have come in under budget. Plus, the service technicians are friendly and work hard and the office staff communicates very well. Definitely recommend!
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