‘Tis the season … for clogged drains so be prepared

It never fails: Get the whole family together for a holiday celebration, and at some point a drain will get stopped up. It could be the toilet, the tub or the sink, but in any case, it’s an instant problem that needs to be taken care of immediately, because hanging a sign on the door that reads “Don’t Use — Broken” just won’t be heeded by everyone.

The first line of defense against clogs is, of course, your trusty plunger. I’d recommend keeping one in every high-traffic area — one in the bathroom, one under the kitchen sink, and so on. In fact, if there are a lot of people coming over to the house at once, just carry one under your arm the whole time. (Just kidding!)

Here’s a quick list of efficient solutions to common clogs:

•Overflowing toilet: Close the shutoff valve located on the wall near the base of the toilet to stop the flow of water. Grab the plunger that you stored nearby for just such a situation. Make sure there’s at least 2 inches of water in the toilet bowl. Place the plunger into the toilet at an angle (this keeps air from getting trapped in the plunger). Ensure that the edges of the plunger are touching the surface of the bowl on all sides; then, quickly but firmly, work the plunger up and down several times (15-20 is good). The water level will drop as the clog clears, but you may need to repeat the plunging process a few times.

•Clogged sink: Leave the drain cleaner in the garage and whip out that plunger. Follow the directions above until the drain clears — or your arms get tired.

•Clogged tub or shower drain: First, swipe a cloth across the drain filter to clear away hair or soap. Sometimes, this is all you have to do to fix the problem. Otherwise — you guessed it — put that plunger into action.

Now, what if a plunger doesn’t do it? What if the clog won’t clear? In that case, you will actually have to put the plunger away and employ the second line of defense, the snake. Not a real snake — a plumber’s snake, a springy metal coil on a flexible line that is fed into the drain pipe, spun around to collect or loosen the clog material, and retracted. If you don’t have one of these, run down to the hardware or home-improvement store and pick one up. If the clog has already occurred — put a sign on the door until your company leaves, and hope everyone reads it.

HOME TIP: You don’t need to spend a lot for a good plunger: the simple “force cup” works best on all types of drains. Interior cone plungers don’t work well on sink drains.