There's no place for plumbing problems during the holidays.

If you’re lucky enough to play host during the holidays, there are a few things you should do to make your home ready for all the guests – things beyond new sheets on the guest bed and having extra milk in the fridge.

You need to make sure that your plumbing system is ready too. A house full of guests is the perfect X factor to push potential problems right over the edge into a full-blown holiday catastrophe.

For starters, locate your main water shut-off valve and give yourself a refresher course on how to close it. Then make sure everyone else in the house knows as well. It could very easily mean the difference between and inconvenience and a disaster.

If you are expecting visitors, turn up your water heater to increase its capacity – but make sure you don’t exceed 125°. A scalded guest is not a happy guest. Then remember to turn it back down after everyone clears out – you don’t want to waste energy.

Make sure have a trashcan in every bathroom. That way guests won’t be tempted to flush cotton balls, q-tips, or other items that don’t belong in your bathroom plumbing

It’s also a good idea to check the hoses on your washing machine, as it will probably get a pretty good workout. Look for cracks or loose connections in rubber hoses. You might even consider replacing them with flexible stainless steel hoses. They often come with a manufacturer’s lifetime warranty.

Of course, if your system hasn’t been professionally inspected lately, that should be your first step. Give your local ARS ^®/Rescue Rooter ^® plumbing specialists a call today so you can head off those unpleasant scenarios later on.