It’s almost Thanksgiving.
So what on earth, you ask, does that have to do with preventing clogged drains? Well, as circumstances would have it, the day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbers due to the record numbers of phone calls for clogged kitchen and other household drains.
It’s a fact: we plumbers refer to the day after Thanksgiving as “Black Friday,” too, but not because we spend the day shopping.
So to help you avoid an unnecessary Thanksgiving expense, here are some proven effective ways to keep your drains running free and clear, just the way you like them.
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“Can it” with the grease. Grease from gravy or cooking fat is the absolute worst thing to pour down your drains. It’s like pouring liquid concrete, because sooner or later it’s going to harden and set up a formidable blockade. Instead, pour grease into a coffee can or similar container and throw it out with the trash.
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Be careful what you feed your disposal. To avoid rendering your garbage disposal useless, don’t feed it stuff it can’t grind up. That includes fibrous foods such as onion skins, celery, and lettuce. They don`t much care for potato skins either.
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Pour on the cold water. Run cold water while you’re grinding up food in your disposal and keep it running for about a minute after you shut the disposal off. Water in general helps to flush your drain line, and cold water in particular keeps grease from adhering to your pipes where it can eventually harden and become much more difficult to remove.
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Stop the stoppers from getting clogged. Once a week, remove all sink and pop-up stoppers, then give them a thorough cleaning. Stoppers are to hair, soap and toothpaste and what casinos are to gamblers: known gathering places!
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What to flush and what not to flush. Toilet and tissue paper are just about the only things you want to flush down your toilets. Toys, paper towel, dad’s slippers, and yesterday’s newspaper are all on the “better not” list. Keep a small trash basket handy near your toilets to encourage proper disposal.
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Read the warning signs, and act accordingly. If your toilet, tub, or sink water is taking longer to drain than usual, now’s the time to act. For best results, pour the recommended amount of an organic liquid drain cleaner down the problem drain. Unlike supermarket varieties, these won’t cause any harm to the environment and they actually work better than chemically-loaded alternatives.
Of course, all the helpful advice in the world – and even with strict adherence on your part – doesn’t mean you won’t encounter a clogged drain problem sooner or later. When that time comes – Thanksgiving weekend or otherwise – contact the plumbing professionals at Messmer Mechanical and we’ll make the problem disappear in no time.
812-482-6766
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