Holiday gatherings are great, but nothing brings the family together like a good meal. The only problem here is cleaning up after everyone. You can lighten the load with disposable dishes, but all those food scraps have to go somewhere. Unfortunately, most of the time, that place is the kitchen sink where the problems start.
Most plumbing systems can’t handle the volume of scraps your extended family produces after a hearty holiday dinner. That’s why we here at Brothers Plumbing Heating and Electric receive many calls for emergency plumbing services around the holidays. After all, nothing puts a damper on your celebrations like a backed-up toilet. Luckily, our team has everything you need to help prevent any issues and keep your lines flowing like new. Just follow these tips, and you’ll be sure to make it through this holiday season in one piece.
Practice Effective Waste Management
Your sink drains can only handle so much waste, so it helps to separate your food waste before washing dishes. Start by cleaning compostables off of your plates and putting them into a proper container. Next, place any other scraps in the trash to minimize the work your disposal system needs to perform. While this goes without saying, don’t let plastic or other inorganic waste wash down your sink, or you will have a clogged form in your lines.
Be Deliberate With Your Disposal System
When running your garbage disposal system, avoid overloading the feed. No matter how robust your disposal is, it’ll never be able to cope with an entire sink’s worth of waste. Instead, avoid jamming your disposal by feeding it scraps with warm water flowing through it. This method will allow your system to perform more efficiently.
Avoid These System-Busting Foods
Certain foods produce waste that is never fit for your garbage disposal. These include but are not limited to the following:
- Eggs: Eggs contain membranes that wrap around some of your disposal’s components, potentially rendering them useless. Once ground down, the shells are difficult to remove, resulting in serious clogs.
- Fats and greases coat your system’s blades, reducing their effectiveness. The same grease can also cause clogs in your lines, so you should avoid it at all costs.
- Vegetable or Fruit Skins: While they may seem harmless, vegetable and fruit skins tend to get caught underneath your disposal system’s blades, reducing their effectiveness.
- Bones, Shells, Pits, and Seeds: These tough byproducts can dull your system’s blades, slow operation, and even cause a burnt-out motor! Avoid them at all costs.
- Stringy Vegetables: Stringy vegetables, such as celery and fruit and vegetable skins, often congest your systems.
- Rice, Pasta, or Tea Leaves: These soft foods can gum up your blades and eventually form serious clogs.
Preventative Service Will See You Through The Season
The best way to ensure the integrity of your plumbing during the holiday season is to call a plumber to do a regular inspection. This examination will give you an overview of your system’s health and alert you to existing issues. That means you won’t have to worry about your disposal system shutting down on you during your celebration. Better yet, you’ll avoid any potential back-ups and the embarrassment that comes with them.
Count On Our Professionals
These tips should help you avoid the most common plumbing issues people encounter during the holiday season. Unfortunately, accidents happen, but thankfully, you have us to help you whenever you encounter problems. When you need help preparing for the holiday season, let Brothers Plumbing Heating and Electric provide our services. We’ll ensure that your plumbing system is in top form so you can confidently tackle this holiday season.
We offer professional drain cleaning & rooter services in the following locations:
