Key Takeaways:
- Holiday gatherings increase plumbing usage, making proactive maintenance essential for avoiding clogs or backups.
- Small preventive steps in kitchens and bathrooms help keep drains flowing and prevent embarrassing emergencies.
- A mid-season plumbing check ensures your home is ready for guests and protects your system from overload.
The holiday season brings family, friends, and festive meals, but it also brings heavy plumbing use that can strain your system more than any other time of year. From marathon cooking sessions to back-to-back showers, your drains, toilets, water heater, and garbage disposal all work overtime. Without proper preparation, that extra demand can quickly turn into major frustrations like slow drains, sewage backups, toilet overflows, or a failing sump pump.
Fortunately, you can prevent most holiday plumbing problems with the right steps. This guide breaks down the best preventive strategies, smart usage habits, and maintenance tips to keep your home running smoothly while hosting guests. With these tips in place, you can focus on enjoying the season, not dealing with clogged drains or emergency repairs.
Why Plumbing Problems Are More Common During the Holidays
Whether you’re hosting a weekend gathering or a house full of relatives for an entire week, the holidays dramatically increase water usage throughout your home. Consider what your plumbing handles during busy hosting days:
- Multiple showers within hours
- Heavy kitchen activity and disposal use
- Frequent flushing and bathroom traffic
- Laundry and dishwasher cycles running back-to-back
- More grease, food scraps, and soap entering your drains
Even a single overlooked issue, like a partially clogged drain, can become a major problem once the added holiday pressure kicks in. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, improper disposal of fats, oils, and grease is one of the leading causes of household drain blockages. That means mindful habits in the kitchen are just as important as routine plumbing care before guests arrive.
With the right precautions, you can avoid the most common incidents and give your plumbing the holiday resilience it deserves.
Step 1: Prepare Your Plumbing Before Guests Arrive
Inspect and Clear Slow Drains
Slow drains are red flags. If your sink, tub, or shower drains more slowly than usual, it means buildup is already forming inside the pipe. Adding holiday traffic could easily push it over the edge. Clearing drains before your guests arrive helps prevent emergencies.
Check the Garbage Disposal
The holidays are peak season for disposal damage. You can prepare it by running ice cubes and a small amount of dish soap through the system to break up buildup and sharpen blades. Ensure it sounds smooth and has no grinding or humming issues.
Clean the Shower and Tub Drains
Hair is the top cause of bathroom clogs. Remove any visible buildup now, and consider adding inexpensive mesh drain covers that trap hair before it enters the pipe.
Test the Water Heater
A quick check ensures guests won’t run out of hot water. Look for:
- Popping or crackling noises (sediment buildup)
- Water at the base of the tank
- Long recovery times
If anything seems off, flushing the tank or scheduling water heater maintenance before your guests arrive is worth it.
Hosting guests soon? Schedule a pre-holiday plumbing tune-up with Holt to make sure your drains, water heater, and bathrooms are ready for the extra load, without surprises or emergencies.
Step 2: Smart Plumbing Habits During Holiday Hosting
Space Out Showers
Back-to-back showers can drain your hot water supply and overwhelm your drainage system. A 10–15 minute break between showers allows your water heater to recover and your drains to clear.
Use the Garbage Disposal Wisely
Holiday foods tend to include everything your garbage disposal hates. Never put these down the drain:
- Grease, oil, or fat
- Coffee grounds
- Potato peels
- Eggshells
- Fibrous vegetables like celery
- Bones or fruit pits
Scrape plates thoroughly into the trash first. The disposal should handle small scraps only.
Run Water While Using the Disposal
Running cold water before, during, and after disposal use helps flush debris and keeps the motor cool, reducing strain during heavy kitchen activity.
Remind Guests What Not to Flush
A simple bathroom reminder (even a small note) can prevent toilet disasters. Items that should never be flushed include:
- Wipes (even if labeled “flushable”)
- Paper towels
- Cotton rounds
- Feminine hygiene products
- Dental floss
These materials do not break down like toilet paper and will clog your drain or sewer line.
Don’t Overload Appliances
Running the dishwasher and washing machine at the same time increases the chance of slow drains or backups. Spread out the cycles when the house is busy.
Step 3: Protect Your Plumbing During Large Meals
Dispose of Grease Properly
Every holiday meal creates leftover grease: turkey drippings, bacon fat, gravy, and more. Pouring it down the drain almost guarantees a clog. Instead:
- Let grease cool
- Scrape it into a container
- Throw the container in the trash
This small step protects your disposal, drains, and sewer system from holiday backups.
Use Sink Strainers
Cooking for guests results in more dishes and more food scraps. A simple sink strainer catches debris that would otherwise enter the drain and cause blockages.
Step 4: Prevent Post-Holiday Problems
Clean Drains and Strainers
Once the house is quiet again, take a few minutes to remove hair, food particles, and soap residue from strainers and drain covers.
Check for Leaks
Higher water use can expose weak pipe joints or seals. Inspect under sinks, behind toilets, and around the water heater for moisture.
Give the Disposal a Deep Clean
Citrus peels or a little baking soda followed by vinegar can freshen odors and remove residue.
Evaluate Your Water Heater’s Performance
If your system struggled during guest visits, winter might bring even more difficulty. A plumber can help determine whether maintenance or replacement is the right step.
Need help preparing your home for the holiday rush? Contact Holt today for reliable plumbing service, seasonal tune-ups, and peace of mind from Iowa’s trusted plumbing experts.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I prevent kitchen sink clogs during the holidays?
Avoid putting grease, starchy foods, and fibrous vegetables down the drain. Use sink strainers and run plenty of cold water when operating the disposal.
2. Why do toilets clog more often during gatherings?
Increased usage, combined with guests flushing items that shouldn’t go down the toilet, makes clogs more likely. Clear signage can help prevent mistakes.
3. Do I need to increase my water heater temperature for guests?
No. Keeping it at 120 °F is safest and usually sufficient. Instead, space out showers to maintain hot water supply.
4. What should I do if a drain backs up during a holiday event?
Stop using the fixture immediately and avoid running additional water. If basic clearing doesn’t work, call a professional before the issue worsens.
5. Can preventive plumbing maintenance really stop holiday emergencies?
Yes. Inspections catch early blockages, failing components, and weak connections, reducing the risk of breakdowns during peak usage.
