Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday among many families. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the busiest days of the year for plumbers. While dinner guests spend the day stuffing themselves, they also commonly stuff garbage disposals and drains. At Larry & Sons, we are always here to help when our customers need us, but we understand that you’d rather not have to make us a part of your Thanksgiving plans.
Because of extra houseguests and more cooking than usual, plumbers typically see approximately a 50 percent increase in emergency calls over Thanksgiving weekend. To avoid having to be one of those callers, keep the following advice in mind.
Avoiding Thanksgiving Plumbing Problems
- Don’t stuff your disposal. A garbage disposal is not a turkey, and it does not need to be stuffed. Use it with care to avoid clogs. Avoid placing things like poultry skins, bones and fibrous, stringy or starchy waste in your disposal. Put trash in the trash can where it belongs.
- Keep grease and oil out of your drains. Never pour cooking oil or grease down your drain. They solidify in pipes and often cause nasty blockages. Instead, collect fats, oils and grease in an old jar or another type of container, and throw them away. Wipe grease from pots and pans with paper towels before rinsing.
- Turn your disposal on before adding food. When you’ll be using your garbage disposal, turn it on before you put food into it. Run a steady stream of warm water the entire time to help rinse food debris through the system.
- Make sure your guests take care of your toilet. Clogged toilets are also common during the holidays. Remind your guests that the only things that should be flushed are human waste and toilet paper. Make sure young children know not to use too much paper.
If all of the advice above fails and you find yourself in need of a plumber this Thanksgiving, Larry & Sons will have technicians on-call to help. If you need us, give us a call at (301) 733-5428.
