The fall season is here to stay and the temperatures prove it. This is the time of year when people start spending more time indoors visiting and eating with friends and family. Having overnight guests can be a little bit stressful, mostly in the prep work.
Getting your home ready for overnight guests usually includes getting the guestroom ready. Washing linens, towels, and extra blankets. Making sure that the pantry and refrigerator are full of their favorite foods and things to drink.
In addition to all of that, you have to add plumbing maintenance to your list. If you’re having overnight guests in the coming weeks, it is essential that your plumbing system be ready.
Here are some things that you should check on before your guests arrive:
- Check your showerheads for leaks. Whichever bathroom that your guests will be using, make sure to turn the shower on for a minute and check to see if it is working properly and not leaking. If you haven’t done so already, this would be a good time to install low-flow showerheads also. If your showerhead is dirty or clogged with mineral deposits, you can unscrew it and soak it in a bowl of water and white vinegar.
- Make sure that all of the drains in your home are protected from clogs by adding drain covers. This is especially important in the kitchen as food prep this time of year usually includes thick vegetable peels that will quickly clog your drain. In the bathrooms, having more people using the shower and sink means higher volumes of shaving cream, soap, shampoo, and conditioner going down the drain.
- With the extra people in your home you will be using more hot water for sure. Not only in the bathroom for grooming and bathing but, in the kitchen for preparing meals, and in the laundry room for washing clothes, linens, and towels. Make sure that your hot water heater is working efficiently and wrap it with a water heater blanket. These blankets are designed to insulate the water heater tank from the cold air of the room that it sits in.
Your kitchen and bathroom will definitely be taking a beating this fall if you are having guests over. The extra cooking, cleaning, and bathing all means more clean water needed in the home and more dirty water being carried away. Follow these simple tips for making sure that your plumbing system is working properly before the extra use.
