Here’s how to avoid a Thanksgiving plumbing disaster!
Thanksgiving is usually the busiest plumbing day of the year! Why is this, and how can you avoid an embarrassing and expensive plumbing related-disaster while the entire family is visiting? Follow these rules (and make sure your guests do as well!) for a smooth-flowing holiday visit!
Do not scrape too much waste down the garbage disposal. This is the culprit in most emergency Thanksgiving holiday calls. Poultry bones, corn husks, hard vegetable peelings, egg shells – all strictly off-limits for the disposal or kitchen drains! Scrape them into the wastebasket instead.
Tip: It can be helpful to occasionally run a bit of cold water and dish soap through the disposal unit to clean and clear it in order to keep it in good working order during Thanksgiving morning!
Other things not to pour down the kitchen sink or disposal – any oil or grease. It may be liquid while you are pouring the extra spillage from the turkey pan now, but it will quickly harden into an impenetrable mass in the pipes beneath your sink.
Outside the kitchen: Ask overnight guests to take 10-15 minute breaks between showers to allow the hot water heater to refill and to allow the extra water and outflow on the pipes time to clear.
Consider putting up a tactful sign in the bathroom reminding visiting family members (especially children) not to flush anything they shouldn’t, such as sanitary feminine products, baby wipes, or cotton balls. Be sure to provide an appropriate trash receptacle for your guests!
