Keeping Your Plumbing Flowing During The Holiday Festivities

March 18, 2020by Precise Plumbing

Disposals Cannot “Eat” Everything

When a garbage disposal is used like it is supposed to be used, it can help us with the dirtiest jobs in the kitchen. A disposal can get rid of food or liquids that will make the trash can smell very bad. Even the best garbage disposals cannot handle some food items. There are certain food items that belong in the trash can and not in the disposal.

Asparagus and celery are two of these foods. These vegetables have so many fibers in them that they can wrap around the blade of the disposal and grind it to a halt. Potato peels will create a starchy paste in a disposal and clog it up. Fat, grease, and oils will solidify around the blade and in the drain pipe, limiting the movement of the blade and the flow of water. When it comes to pasta and rice, we all know that it expands when it gets wet, even after they are cooked all the way. Putting a lot of noodles in a disposal can make it too full before we know what is going on. The only bones that should be in a drain are fine fish bones. Turkey bones and any large bones need to be disposed of in a trash can.

Prepare a Plan

If you have never cleaned out a clogged garbage disposal by yourself before, there is no time like the present to do so. The best source for this information is the instruction manual that came with the disposal. If you no longer have this manual, you can look for it online by looking for the disposal’s manufacturer’s name and model number. The majority of disposals have a manual crank at the bottom that makes it possible to turn the blade when it is stuck.. Even when a disposal is not connected to its power source, it is not safe to put your arm into it. Therefore, the manual crank is the best way to get rid of clogs. Some disposals can turn themselves off when they are clogged so the motor will not be harmed. If a disposal does have this feature, the owner will have to push the reset button to turn the disposal back on after the clog is cleared.

Getting Your “Full House” Ready For “Royal Flushes”

No matter whether you have company over for an evening or will have a house full of guests for the holidays, your bathrooms will be used a lot more than usual. Prior to your guests showing up, look at your toilet flapper to ensure that it is good condition and everything is in its place. It is also to keep a plunger near the toilet just in case it gets stopped up. Your guests will also need to schedule their showers so everyone can have a hot shower. It is also a good idea to set the water heater thermostat to lower than 120 degrees which are the highest safe setting to get a boost for a little while by increasing the temperature to that setting. For the people that host people every year, getting a tankless water heater. They cost more for the initial investment, but they are more energy efficient than the traditional water heater repairs and the water heater will never be drained of hot water because they have on-demand heating.

These ideas will help you have one less thing to worry about during the busy and hectic holiday season. If you follow them, your plumbing will flow during the holiday festivities and your plumber will not be joining your party.