Thanksgiving Tips: How to Prevent a Plumbing Emergency over the Holiday
The day right after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times of the year for plumbers. Sometimes, this is because unnoticed plumbing problems are exacerbated by guests. Or more simply, with all the guests over at the house, showers and baths have to work extra hard, drains get backed up, garbage disposals are clogged, and plumbing disasters are created. So here are some things to avoid so you can enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers in peace:
- Do not pour fats or oils down the drain. If cooking oil or grease gets into your pipes, this will harden after cooling down, making for a serious clog. These substances need to go in the garbage bin, not the garbage disposal.
- You cannot send fibrous or starchy leftovers into the garbage disposal either. This basically means that just about anyone’s Thanksgiving plate will have something that cannot go down the disposal: celery (in the stuffing), fruit peels, turkey skin, potato peels, sweet potatoes, rice, and pasta. Even as you cook the meals or rinse the dishes, you will have to remember to keep these substances from going down your disposal.
- Also, do not wait to turn the disposal on. Every time you dump something, the disposal needs to be on and so does the water, which helps send the materials down the drain. If you wait to turn on the disposal, it could already be overwhelmed with peels and stringy substances, keeping your sink from draining at all.
- If you have guests staying over, make sure that there is a break between showers or baths. If there is not a break of at least ten minutes, then the drain can get backed up. If this happens too regularly, then you could suffer a main sewer clog or even a septic system catastrophe.
- Finally, there are many things that cannot be flushed without a high likelihood of creating a clog. These include cotton balls or swabs, makeup remover pads, facial scrub pads, tampons, and baby wipes.
Despite everyone’s best efforts, plumbing disasters can still occur. No matter what time you find a plumbing emergency on your hands, our experienced Kansas City plumbers can quickly resolve the matter. Whether during the evening or on the weekend, our team of plumbing technicians can provide the expert service you need. Contact A-1 Sewer & Septic Service, Inc. today!
