First, you’re probably wondering, after reading the title of this blog post, what the most common plumbing repair calls are. Clogged drains top the list. And the most likely time for us to get this kind of call is over the holiday season. So while you’re making plans to have family and friends over for Thanksgiving or any other holiday festivities, it’s important to be aware of your plumbing system.
Whether it’s clogged drains, jammed up garbage disposals, clogged bathroom plumbing, or overwhelmed water heaters, we get a lot of calls throughout the holiday season as homeowners welcome more people into their households at once than any other time of the year. So, before Thanksgiving approaches and you have your next big family meal, read this blog post, and learn at least one way to avoid a holiday plumbing mishap.
Protect Your Kitchen Sink Drain
There are a number of items that homeowners usually don’t give a second thought to when putting down their kitchen sink drain, particularly if they are hustling and bustling to get a big holiday meal prepared. Here are some examples of what shouldn’t be put down your kitchen sink drain while you prep that meal, and why.
1. Fats, Oils, and Grease: This is referred to as “FOG” and the reason FOG is bad is because, while it cools off, it hardens and congeals, which means it can and will stick to the inside of your kitchen sink’s drainpipe. Consequently, blockages and clogs build up in the kitchen sink strain, and you’ll be left with a sticky, and probably stinky, situation.
More and more food particles build up until you have a stubborn blockage and/or a smelly drain you just can’t get rid of because of everything collecting on top of the FOG. And before you assume that the bottle of chemical drain cleaner you keep under the sink will resolve the problem, read the next section!
2. Store-Bought Liquid Drain Cleaners: We get it, this seems like a quick and easy fix. And when you’re in a rush, that might be all you really want. But there is a reason we discourage our customers from using these chemical-laden drain cleaning “solutions.” It’s because the chemicals that make up these cleansers are very caustic, and over time can do more harm than good to your plumbing system.
This is a problem that typically builds up over the long term, however, it’s important to keep in mind for the future of your plumbing system and your budget.
3. Hard Food Items: A good rule of thumb to go by with this point is if you can’t chew it, it shouldn’t go down your kitchen sink drain. Garbage disposal systems are powerful, but they can’t break up things like fruit pits or meat bones. These things may make it through the disposal, but they can get lodged in the kitchen-sink drainpipe.
4. Eggshells and Potato Skins: These are very popular drain-clogging materials. With big meals, it’s common to have lots of potato skin shavings and/or eggshells in the sink. A few at a time are okay, but with this big of a meal, you can overwhelm your garbage disposal system, causing it to get jammed up and stop working. This in turn can create a very annoying clog and backup in your kitchen sink.
We hope you don’t have an emergency this holiday season, but when you do, or if you would like to schedule plumbing maintenance to prevent one, you can count on Brooks Plumbing Co. for professional and reliable plumbing service in Lacey, WA. Contact us today!
