Christmas is here! This is one of the busiest times of the year in terms of housework, with the house being cleaned, major cleaning work being carried out and more delicious meals being prepared in the kitchen.
In the midst of the housework, you might find that something needs to be repaired or damaged and you need professional help. In this blog, we've put together three of the most typical building services challenges that can arise in the rush to celebrate Christmas at home. Remember that 24 Center is on call 24/7 during the Christmas season, so get in touch if you have a building services issue on your mind.
1. Keep your drains clean
As is traditional at many homes, the Christmas meal is topped off with a Christmas ham. Baking the ham releases a lot of fat, which is in liquid form when it is hot. Inevitably, the first thought that springs to mind is that the liquid mixture could be poured down the sink or toilet. However, frying fat should not be poured down the drain. Instead, we recommend collecting the fat in a milk carton, for example, and letting it solidify before disposing of it in organic waste.
You should also check if there is a ham fat collection campaign in your area, such as Kinkkutempu. Handy housekeepers know how to use leftover frying fat for other cooking. Unfortunately, 24 Center can't help with that, but if you find that you're getting grease down the drain, or that everything in your home isn't as it should be from a building services point of view, call or chat to our customer service team for advice.
What happens if ham fat ends up in the sewer?
"Oops, now that hot grease went down the drain."
Panicked intuition may tell you to pour cold water on the tail, but this can actually make the situation worse and speed up the process of causing more damage. The cold water accelerates the solidification of the grease, causing it to stick to the walls of the pipes in larger deposits and begin to collect debris, eventually causing a blockage.
Throwing food or food waste into the pipes should always be avoided. It is important for the life cycle of the pipes to ensure proper recycling of food waste and food preparation waste as bio-waste. Avoid throwing food or cooking residues such as potato peelings or sauce can residues down the toilet or flushing them down the kitchen sink. Grease from food easily congeals in the pipes and over time can cause blockages.
Food waste in the drain can attract uninvited guests such as rats, so it is strongly recommended to avoid putting food waste down the toilet or flushing it down the sink.
Call 24 Center - we'll send an HVAC professional to your location
If hot ham fat is allowed to flow along pipelines as a melt and later solidifies, it will condense heavily on the walls of the pipes, causing challenging blockages over time. A blocked drain has a significant impact on living comfort, but can also be harmful to the environment.
You can identify a blocked drain by the following signs:
- The drain is bubbling or making strange noises.
- The sink is not pulling well.
- The water level in the toilet bowl rises either temporarily or permanently.
For moderate blockages, you can try to unblock them yourself, for example with a combination of baking soda + vinegar. If you are not sure how far the grease has spread or if there is a lot of grease, it is advisable to call a professional to inspect the pipes. Unopened blockages can lead to leaks in the basements and surrounding areas of buildings if not addressed in time.
Remember to take care of your home's plumbing all year round. When your pipes are in good condition, you'll have peace of mind and avoid big, seemingly unnecessary repairs. Click here to read about how you can prevent drain blockages.
2. Avoid overloading the electricity grid
Christmas lights and decorations can increase electricity consumption, which can lead to fuses blowing. This can happen if too much electricity is used at the same time. Another typical cause of a power cut is when too many appliances are plugged into the same socket or extension lead. This can overload the power grid, which in turn can lead to overheating of the plugs or burning of the fuses. A faulty electrical appliance can also blow a fuse.
If the fuse becomes dislodged, you can turn it back in place yourself. You can replace a blown fuse yourself, but as this is electrical work, you should take extra care. If in doubt, contact the 24 Center. We will help you and send an electrician if necessary.
In particularly cold or snowy winters, these natural phenomena pose challenges for electricity distribution. If a power cut occurs on a cold day, it is important to prepare properly and keep the house warm with backup energy such as a fireplace, gas heater or backup generator. Information about local electricity companies and their outage records can also help you to be aware of the situation and any estimated recovery time.
24 Center electricians on call
24 Center's on-call electricians offer a wide range of services, including installation, maintenance and repair of electrical systems. They specialize in emergency situations such as power outages and electrical system failures, providing a fast and efficient service.
3. Keep the spare key in a safe place and don't let the door lock freeze
Although Christmas is a time for relaxation, mishaps can happen when putting up Christmas presents. You didn't buy the plum jam, and in your rush to the store you find you've forgotten the keys inside. On a really cold day, the key may not lock because the lock is frozen. In the worst case, you try to force the lock open and the key snaps.
The door lock should be protected from rain, so that it does not accumulate moisture, which will freeze when cold weather arrives. The lock also needs to be looked after and should be lubricated regularly, which will also prevent it from freezing. However, you can take some precautions in case freezing does occur. It's a good idea to keep lock sealant handy outside the house so that you can use it to thaw the lock. It's also a good idea to find a safe place for your spare key, where you can easily retrieve it if you lose or leave your key inside.
24 Center's professionals have extensive expertise in the maintenance, repair and opening of mechanical and electrical locking and security systems and are constantly updating their skills. A locked front door is one of the biggest security deterrents, and few things shake one's sense of security like a broken lock on the front door of one's home. That's why a locksmith needs to be not only fast, skilled and efficient, but also a discerning professional.
24 Center also allows you to upgrade your mechanical lock to a digital lock.
Would this be a Christmas present for the family, to forget about the physical keys and have one less thing to worry about? With 24 Center, you get a professional who will assess the right solution for your home and your needs. You can also order an installer from us to conveniently upgrade your lock to an electronic locking system.
Read more about the benefits of electronic locking systems.
24 Center helps when you need help with your building services challenges
24 Center's network of professionals is just one contact away when all the ingredients for disaster happen in your home or if you need advice on how to proceed with a minor incident. Our on-call customer service representatives are ready to help you with your building services problems. 24 Center handles both unhurried and scheduled plumbing installation work, as well as emergency procedures such as pipe thawing and unclogging. You can rely on our professionalism and rapid response when you need help solving your challenges.
Contact 24 Center when you wonder - what to do! Even at Christmas!
