USE THE GARBAGE CAN
Garbage disposals are great, but they aren’t meant for everything. There are certain things that will clog up your disposal or cause problems should they find their way into your kitchen sink.
Keep things like chicken skin and bones, potato peels and cornhusks out of the garbage disposal and throw them in the trash instead.
And if you have read our previous posts, you should know better than to dump grease down your kitchen drain. That is a disaster just waiting to happen.
PLUMBING INSPECTIONS
It’s a good idea to have your plumbing inspected before the holiday season. A professional knows what to look for when inspecting your plumbing system and will catch small problems before they turn into huge disasters.
FRIENDLY REMINDERS
It isn’t a fun task, but it needs to be done. When you have friends or family arrive to stay with you over the holidays, gently remind them that there are things that do not get flushed down the toilet. Make it easy on them and tell them they are only allowed to flush toilet paper down the toilets.
RUN SOME COLD WATER
While you are grinding all of that leftover food down the garbage disposal, make sure you are running plenty of cold water. Cold water pushes waste down the drain easier.
Respect The Shower
Having your family and guests showering back to back can put pressure on your shower fixtures. We suggest you spread the showers out to avoid constant pressure.
USE A STRAINER
You will have a lot of dishes that need to be scraped and cleaned. The same holds true to pots and pans. A strain or basket in your kitchen sink will help prevent unwanted materials from going down the drain and potentially causing a clog.
Another good idea is to scrape the plates into the garbage can instead of the sink.
SAVE THE HOT WATER
Save the hot water for your guests by waiting until late at night to run the dishwasher, washing machine and anything else that uses hot water. This way, you will have plenty of hot water in the day when guests are eager to shower.
KNOW YOUR VALVES
In the event of an emergency, you will want to know where your water shutoff valve is. Shutoff valves are in different locations depending on several factors.
Most homes in California have outdoor shutoff valves and they should be marked by a bright red rotary valve.
BE PREPARED
It is time to get real. There is no way to completely avoid a plumbing disaster over the holiday season so it is best to be prepared.
Make sure you have a plunger in each of your bathrooms and you may even want to consider buying an affordable auger in the event of a clog.
If you do suffer a plumbing issue this holiday season, give American Drain Company a call and we will help.
