drain

The holidays are one of the most common times for plumbing problems to sprout up. The days after Thanksgiving are some of the busiest days in the year for plumbers. To avoid plumbing issues in your home, it is helpful to take a few preventative steps and be aware of what exactly can cause problems to sprout up during the holidays.

Never pour oil down the kitchen sink or other drain.

Although you may have excess oil waste from cooking during the holidays, it is important to never pour oil down your drain or your kitchen sink. Disposing oil down your drain can easily cause a drain to clog and totally block your plumbing system. Oil and grease can be allowed to congeal in a container and then disposed of in the trash or any receptacle in your area that is marked for cooking oil disposal.

Be careful of what you put in the garbage disposal.

Your garbage disposal can only dispose of certain food items; other items can cause it to clog or break down. You should avoid putting any grease or oil down the disposal, along with egg shells and any non-food items. Fibrous foods like potato peels, celery, asparagus, onion skins and others have fibers that can wrap around the blades of the disposal and affect the functioning of the motor.

Be conscientious of hot water use.

With more people in your home, the availability of hot water can quickly start to dwindle. Be careful of using washing machines and other appliances, so that you are not competing for hot water with the shower. Check back on our blog for more tips or call us 24/7 if you have any plumbing problems at all during the holidays.