It’s a fact, one of the busiest days of the year for plumbers is the day after Thanksgiving. No Black Friday shopping for them. Everyone is on duty. Why? Big holiday meal preparation and cleanup can lead to a lot of extra waste in the garbage disposal and kitchen drains. There’s also family/friends that stay over and puts additional strain on the plumbing through laundry washing, toilet flushing, and showers.
Paul Abrams, a Roto-Rooter representative says “Often, the case is that a house already has partially clogged drains that go unnoticed, until holiday guests arrive and overwhelm the system. Even more problematic is that virtually every traditional Thanksgiving dish is a supreme drain clog culprit”.
Incoming calls to the company, for kitchen jobs alone, will jump 50% over the average Friday. The four-day Thanksgiving weekend averages a 21% hike over any other Thursday through Sunday time frame during the year.
Here are some clog-preventing tips by Roto-Rooter suggests to help avoid a visit from a plumber over the holidays:
Never pour fats or cooking oils down drains. They solidify in pipes. Instead, wipe grease from pots with paper towels and throw in trash.
Avoid putting stringy, fibrous or starchy waste in the garbage disposal. Poultry skins, celery, fruit & potato peels, for example, cannot be sufficiently broken down.
Make sure the disposal is running when you put food into it. Don’t wait until it’s full to turn it on.
For homes hosting weekend guests, it’s a good idea to wait ten minutes between showers so slow drains have time to do their job.
Never flush cotton balls, swabs, hair or facial scrub pads down a toilet. They don’t dissolve and will cause clogs.
Try to address any plumbing problems before the holiday and before guests arrive. However, in holiday emergencies, don’t hesitate to ask up front about extra holiday service fees.
As always, know your limits. Often, minor plumbing problems turn into plumbing catastrophes if not handled properly.Happy Thanksgiving to You and Yours!
