It’s that spooky time of year again, Pittsburgh! Halloween is upon us, which means our city is about to be transformed into a celebration of all things creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky. As your local plumbing experts, we at McNabb Plumbing want to make sure your home’s plumbing is ready for the Halloween season. Read on for our tips to avoid plumbing nightmares as you deck out your home, along with some ghoulishly fun family activities this Halloween!
Safety First: Avoiding Plumbing Perils
As you unpack your Halloween decorations and props, keep these plumbing safety tips in mind:
- Don’t stuff decorations down the toilet! It may seem like a convenient way to dispose of broken décor or excess candy wrappers, but flushing anything besides toilet paper can easily cause drain clogs and pipe blockages.
- Check for leaks around fog machines, cauldrons, or any temporary water installations. Even small leaks over time can cause major water damage if left unaddressed.
- Inspect cords on outdoor electrical decorations to make sure they aren’t pinched under doors, windows, or deck railings. Damaged cords can lead to electrical hazards.
- Make sure outdoor electrical decorations are plugged into functioning, GFCI-protected outlets. This provides protection in case of weather-related damage.
- Disconnect fog machines and other water-based décor when not in use so pipes don’t freeze overnight. Burst pipes will cast a darker pall on your Halloween!
If you do experience any plumbing issues, don’t panic! Call McNabb Plumbing and we’ll arrive faster than a speeding witch on a broomstick to fix any nightmarish plumbing problems.
Family-Friendly Halloween Plumbing Experiments
Once your home’s plumbing is ready for All Hallows Eve, it’s time for some spooky science! Gather the little monsters and ghosts and try these fun plumbing activities:
- Dancing Ghosts: Fill clear plastic gloves with water and draw silly ghost faces on them with markers. Securely tape the gloves by their wrists and watch your homemade ghosts dance and sway as the water moves around inside. Adjust the amount of water for ghosts that barely float or heavily sink.
- Monster Slime: Mix 1 cup cornstarch and 1.5 cups water in a medium pot. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens toa. Slimy, gooey consistency. Add a drop of food coloring if desired. Spoon the slime into containers and refrigerate overnight before playing. Stretch it, smoosh it, and roll it into creepy crawly monsters!
- Glowing Potions: Fill glass jars, vases, or flasks with tonic water or club soda. Add a few drops of highlighter ink in Halloween colors like orange, green, or purple. The blacklight-reactive ink will make your fizzy potions appear to glow and bubble with an eerie light!
- Haunted Pipes: Construct a mini haunted house scene over a piece of aluminum foil. Use pipe cleaners, cardboard, lollipop sticks, and other craft items to make spooky structures. Then simulate a ghostly fog by carefully pouring dry ice over the foil “river” running through the house. Just be sure the handle dry ice safely by wearing gloves and ventilating the area.
Have a bewitchingly brilliant Halloween, Pittsburgh! McNabb Plumbing will be on-call throughout the season if any plumbing emergencies pop up to terrorize your holiday haunts. Stay safe and get your creep on!