Don't let this happen to you.

A clogged drain can be a major pain when you are getting ready for the holidays and entertaining guests. Have a plunger handy next to every toilet in the house in the event of unexpected clogs. Another little tool, called a snake, can be your best friend when the drain clogs and can be had for about $15 at a local hardware store. About 25-ft. of snake is all you need for most plumbing jobs.

Tubs and bathroom sinks typically clog because hair and soap builds up in the drains. In both cases, remove the stopper in the sink and tub, and use the snake to loosen grime and hair.

A clogged kitchen sink is typically caused by a jammed garbage disposal. Most disposals come with an Allen wrench, the funny looking metal pipe that looks a bit like the letter Z. Under the sink at the bottom of the disposal, there is a small opening for the Allen wrench. Place one end of the wrench inside the opening and turn the wrench clockwise and counter clockwise until the wrench spins freely. If the disposal is clear and the sink is still clogged, try removing the trap in the sink drain and use the snake to loosen any clog.

The snake can be used to unplug clogs in laundry tubs as well. In fact, a snake can take care of most clogs, so if it doesn’t work, you really need to call a plumber. The same can be said for floor drains. You could rent a sewer machine, however, if the end of the snake catches on something in your pipes, it will stop turning and can be seriously dangerous to remove yourself.

Frozen Pipes from Platypus Advertising + Design on Vimeo.

Our union friends at Plumbers 75 have provided a list of things we can do this summer to conserve the water we use gardening and maintaining our lawns.

• Water your yard before 8 a.m. to reduce evaporation.

• Install a smart sprinkler controller on your garden hose. You can water your lawn exactly the way you need using zone controls, and timer and programming functions.

• Use a broom or blower to clean driveways and sidewalks.

• Check your sprinkler system for leaks, overspray and broken sprinkler heads.

• Use organic mulch around plants to reduce evaporation.

• Plant flowers, trees, and bushes that require less watering and are appropriate for our Wisconsin climate conditions.

• Use a shut-off nozzle on your hose.

• Raise the lawn mower blade to at least three inches. A higher cut encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds soil moisture better than a closely-clipped lawn.

• Collect water from your roof to water your garden.

Waiting until you smell gas or the basement’s flooding is not the time to find out. This is when plumbers like Justin Castleman get frantic calls from panicked customers asking him what to do. At that very moment most people are too crazed to think straight. So very calmly with nothing to distract me but the pings, twitters and incoming emails from my computer, I had Justin walk me through the really big turn offs.

The Main Water Shut Off Valve. This turns all the water off in the house. If you have municipal water, this valve is usually found in the basement someplace very close to the water meter. If you have well water, you need to look for the pressure tank. It’s almost always located where the water enters your house. You’ll find a shut off valve very near the pressure tank. When you locate the main water valve, put a tag on it, so you and other people in your home know where to go to turn off the water.

Gas. The Gas Company puts a chemical in gas to give it a distinct smell. If you smell a consistent gas odor, the best thing to do is to get everyone out of the house and call the gas company. They will come and shut off your gas, but it will be up to you to call a plumber for service. Since gas is a combustible source, you should always call a professional plumber and have he or she walk you through the house and show you where your emergency shut-offs are located.

Power. Every electric appliance has a power source, including the electric hot water heater. If your water heater’s leaking, it’s best to turn the power off and call a plumber for assistance. Turning the temperature of your water heater down, can prevent scalding and preserve the life expectance of your water heater. In the long run, it also saves money on your electric bill. The temperature should be set at no higher than 120 degrees.

I’ve found taking a few minutes to locate all of these places can make you feel a lot more confident in the event something happens.

Locating the shut-off valve depends on whether a residence is hooked up to city water or well water. If the city supplies water to a home, the valve can be found just above the meter where the pipe comes into the house.

• Plumbers snake or toilet auger for drain clogs

• Anything that tightens or loosens, including channel lock pliers, an adjustable wrench, and screwdrivers

• Plungers for each bathroom

• A heat gun or hair dryer for frozen pipes

• String fingers to help retrieve items that drop down the drain

• A hex wrench that fits in the bottom of the garbage disposal to loosen clogs

• A spare sump pump in the event the old one breaks or there is too much water for the one pump to handle

One thing that I learned the hard way is to know where your main water shut-off valve is. When a pipe or toilet leaks you’ll want to get the water turned off immediately before you have to start bailing. The PPC offers free valve tags you can put on the pipe so you or anyone else in the family can find the valve quickly in the event of a plumbing emergency. You can follow this link to get one for your home.

First, more than a handful of food down the drain is too much for most disposals to handle. Always run water when using the disposal and keep the water running a few seconds after you turn the disposal off to clear the pipes.

Grease is better off poured into a tin can rather than down the drain. It will congeal and solidify inside drainpipes. Throw any grease away after it solidifies in the tin can.

Throw turkey skin, bones and fibrous vegetables in the trash.

If you’re expecting a lot of guests, make sure you have a large enough wastebasket in the bathroom, particularly if your guests have babies that use disposable diapers. Keep paper towels and heavy napkins out of the bathroom and stock the lavatory with clean towels and lightweight napkins to keep your toilet from becoming a dispose-all.  Keep a plunger on hand in each bathroom.  Your guests will thank you in the event a toilet clogs while they are in the bathroom.   

Following these simple guidelines will keep the holidays merry and thankfully even plumbers will be able to spend more time with their own families this season.