Plumbing Tips for Holiday Hosting

The day after Thanksgiving is a big day for holiday shopping. Unfortunately, it’s also a big day for residential plumbers. The food centered holiday can put a little extra strain on your home’s plumbing system and if you’re not careful, you may end up adding a plumber to your guest list.

With Thanksgiving only a few days away kicking off a season of holiday gatherings, we’re here with a few simple reminders to help your upcoming holiday fests stay on course.

Thanksgiving Plumbing Tips

Stay thankful for indoor plumbing with these tips to get you and your drains through the holidays.

Don’t Dump Grease Down the Drain

We can’t say it enough. So many clogs are the result of grease buildup blocking drainpipes. While it may seem like a harmless liquid to put down the drain, grease will cool and solidify inside your pipes. Fats, cooking oils and grease should be poured into containers and tossed in the trash. Pots and pans should be wiped with a paper towel before being put in the sink for washing.

Your Garbage Disposal is not a Garbage

Garbage disposals can be a lifesaver when it comes to meal prep and cleanup but, especially when cooking big meals, they are easy to abuse. Be mindful of what’s going into your garbage disposal, especially if guests are unfamiliar with them. Many Thanksgiving meal stables like poultry skins and bones, potato peels and celery are stringy, starchy and fibrous and should never be put down your garbage disposal. Other foods to avoid include eggshells, coffee grounds, pasta noodles and fruit pits and peels. Also, your garbage disposal will work much better if you turn it on before putting the food into it.

Avoid Having Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

A lot of holiday related plumbing calls have to do with foreign objects such as jewelry, silverware and broken glass getting stuck in drains. When you have too many people in the kitchen, all trying to help, it’s much easier for accidents to happen. Limiting the number of cooks in the kitchen is an easy way to prevent some of these mishaps and foreign objects from accidentally going down the kitchen drain.

Don’t Run Your Dishwasher & Disposal at the Same Time

If you have a dishwasher and a garbage disposal, they share one drain. So before you run your dishwasher, make sure your garbage disposal is clear. If it’s clogged, running your dishwasher could cause it to flood. You also don’t want to run your garbage disposal while your dishwasher is running because that can cause food waste to backup into your wash cycle.

Careful What You Flush

Wet wipes, tissues, napkins, paper towels, cotton balls, Q-tips and feminine products should never be flushed. Toilet paper has been specifically designed to dissolve in water, but these other items have not. Make sure your bathroom is stocked with extra toilet paper in sight so that if the roll runs out, there’s no reason to reach for something else. Keep a small trash can visible as well so there’s no confusion and keep an eye out for young kids who may overuse the TP or forget to flush as they are learning.

Keep the Showers Short and Staggered

If you’re having overnight house guests for the holidays, be mindful of who is showering when and for how long. Having multiple showers running at once or at the same time as the dishwasher can put extra strain on your water pressure, water heater and plumbing in your home. Try to keep showers short and staggered by about 10 minutes to give everyone a fair shot at a hot shower.

We’re Thankful for You

This time of year, we like to reflect on the things we are thankful for and for us, that’s you. We are thankful for our wonderful clients, the opportunity to serve the Minneapolis community and provide you with the comforts and peace of mind that comes with a working indoor plumbing system. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season that’s plumbing emergency-free. But if you do find yourself in need of a plumber or want to schedule a preventative maintenance service to make sure your plumbing’s ready for the busy holiday season, give us a call at 612-354-8984 or schedule an appointment online.