Top tips for a merry Christmas

Christmas is finally here!  Everyone is especially happy at CIPHE HQ as we’ll be shutting down for our festive break from 12.30pm on Christmas Eve. To help avoid plumbing disasters while we are away, we have the following festive tips to keep plumbing emergencies at bay…

Hot fat can block your drainage systems – chuck it in the bin, not down the sink!

Now this is the big one. If you pour hot fat into the kitchen sink (when washing roasting tins, etc.) it could well cool in the wastepipe, build up and cause a blockage. Nobody wants overflowing plumbing systems and nasty wiffs on Christmas day! Wait for the fat to cool and solidify, then scrape it into some used tin foil and throw it in the bin.

Never flush wet wipes down the loo

Toilets can easily get blocked and it’s normally caused by flushing items such as wet wipes, that do not break down in the waste pipes. Only toilet roll, poo and pee should be flushed down the toilet, wipes (even if they say they are suitable for flushing) and sanitary products should be disposed in a waste bin. If you have guests over this Christmas the last thing you need is an overflowing toilet, so make sure you give you loo some TLC and don’t flush anything you shouldn’t!

Read the small print on your house insurance if you’re going away for Christmas

If you are leaving your home empty for a couple of days, make sure you have read the small print on your insurance to see if you need to take precautions against frozen and burst pipes such as turning the water off or maintaining a minimum temperature level in the property. 

Plumbers love Christmas too!

Plumbing and heating engineering professionals want to spend Christmas with their families and enjoy some time off, just like you. Not every engineer will offer an emergency call out service over the festive period. If you find yourself facing an emergency, check out our plumbing emergencies page. And if you don’t already have a regular engineer, use our find a plumber online search tool to find a professional tradesperson.

If you need the assistance of a tradesperson over Christmas, don’t forget to ask what their rates are before they come out to you. They may charge extra, especially if you are calling them away from their families and Christmas dinner on Christmas day! 

The CIPHE’s head office will be closed from 12.30pm on 24 December and will reopen at 9am on 4th January. We wish everyone - especially all of our members, Industrial Associates and volunteers - a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!