As you plan for everyone and their mother, literally, to come visit for the holiday season, we’ve prepared a little something of our own. We know it can be a lot of pressure to make the perfect meal for all your guests, so we want to take some of that pressure off your shoulders, and off your drains and pipes!
While it may be the last thing on your mind when preparing for your holiday feast, the heavy traffic of people and food can cause a lot of unexpected issues to arise for your plumbing, especially at the most inconvenient time. We can’t vouch for how your family acts during the holidays, but we can offer some peace of mind when it comes to your plumbing. Here’s what you need to know before preparing for a holiday dinner.
Garbage Disposals Get Stuffed from Food Too
Like anything, there’s a limit to how much you can throw down your garbage disposal. To prevent your garbage disposal from breaking down, avoid putting any poultry bones, potato skins, cornhusks, celery, or fruit pits down this drain. Instead, peel your potatoes into a trash bag and avoid putting other tough and fibrous items down your disposal. Another helpful hint is to always run cold water when putting anything down your garbage disposal.
Grease Should Never Go Down Your Drains
Grease is a major antagonist for your garbage disposal as it will clog up your pipes by collecting other debris and wreak havoc on your home’s plumbing. While it may be a liquid when it goes down your disposal, it won’t stay that way once it cools. Grease solidifies once it cools off and can stay in your pipes until enough gunk and debris pile up to cause a problem. Let your grease cool in a disposable container before throwing it away in the trashcan or try to reuse your grease for other cooking purposes.
Your Toilets Will Need Extra Care
The amount of food that will be cooked and eaten throughout the holiday season means that your toilets will be used much more than they usually are. This could cause problems such as clogging, overflowing, and excessive running, but once you know how to prepare for these situations, your plumbing will be much better off. Always remind your guests not to flush any paper or sanitary products other than toilet paper down the toilet. If your toilet won’t flush after so many attempts or if the toilet is constantly running, check under the lid to make sure the chain attached to the flapper isn’t tangled.
Of course, it is hard to prepare for everything all the while making an amazing holiday meal. When the big day does come and everyone starts flooding into your home, these tips will save you from an actual flood on these very important days of the year.
You don’t ever have to face the holidays alone, however. If something unexpected does happen, Bacon Plumbing Heating Air Electric can answer any question you may have, and we can always be there in an instant. The best place to start, though, is with a pre-holiday home plumbing inspection. Schedule yours today with Bacon!
