Holiday Plumbing Tips

December 22 / 2018

It’s that time of year again! Holiday get togethers, holiday dinners, holiday gifts! With so much going on this time of year, holiday plumbing problems can easily creep up. The truth is, is that the holiday season is one of the busiest times of years for plumbers. All of the extra entertaining can put extra stress on your plumbing, and if there was already an underlying issue, it can create a recipe for disaster. However, don’t fret! Rooter Hero Plumbing is here to the rescue with some holiday plumbing tips. 1- Don’t Treat Your Garbage Disposal Like a Trash Can - When it comes to garbage disposals, the name does NOT say it all. Garbage disposals are not meant to meant to dispose of anything and everything. In fact, the more you watch what goes into the garbage disposal the better. Some items that should never go down the garbage disposal include:

Grease - It can build up over time once it solidifies, and collect other debris forming major clogs.
Bones - Can cause damage to the blades and to your plumbing.
Large Food Particles - Can form major clogs.
Fibrous Food Peelings - Potato peels, carrot peels, and corn husks for example, can cause clogs.
Expandable Food - Pasta and excess batter that can copulate with grease and other debris, forming clogs.

Always scrape leftovers into the trash. As a general rule of thumb, if you are in doubt, don’t put it in the garbage disposal. 2- Don’t Overwork Your Garbage Disposal - Another important holiday plumbing tip, is to not overwork your garbage disposal. There are proper operating procedures for your garbage disposal, that if you neglect can cause damage. The last thing you want while you are entertaining is to have an issue with your garbage disposal, so be nice. Always run the garbage disposal with running water and avoid overloading it. As a bonus tip, clean it before heavy usage with hot water, baking soda, and vinegar. This helps remove some of the buildup that occurs over time, and also helps deodorize it. 3- Be Nice To Your Dishwasher - In addition, to treating your garbage disposal with care, you will also want to be nice to your dishwasher. Yet another important piece of kitchen machinery you don’t want to lose over the holidays. Make sure you scrape the leftovers into the trash and thoroughly rinse dishes before loading to avoid clogs. You will also want to avoid overloading it, as an overloaded dishwasher does not do an effective job at cleaning the dishes. Which means you may have to rewash which wastes water and energy. 4- Drain Screens - Drain screens offer protection for your drain, at a very low cost. They make them to fit all sizes of drains, from the kitchen sink to the shower drain. The screen fits neatly over the drain and prevents any unwanted items from going down the drain. They only cost a few bucks, but could save you hundreds in emergency plumbing repairs. Not to mention prevent some holiday stress. 5- Watch What You Flush - Watching what gets flushed down the toilet is another important holiday plumbing tip. Believe it or not, only toilet paper should ever be flushed. Never dispose of trash,paper towels, wipes, diapers, feminine hygiene products, hair, cigarette butts, prescriptions meds, or chemicals in the toilet. These things belong in the nearest receptacle or collection facility. They can not only cause harm to your plumbing and sewer system, but also affect the environment. Remember whatever you flush could eventually reach our lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans.

The holidays should be spent with loved ones, not worrying over your plumbing. Hopefully you will find these holiday plumbing tips useful, however in the event of a holiday plumbing emergency, we’ve got your back! Rooter Hero Plumbing is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days out of the year. Which means that if disasters strikes on any holiday, we will be there!

Holiday Plumbing Tips

Holiday Plumbing Tips

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