Thanksgiving is here on Thursday and for many residents of Garland, TX, that means hosting friends and family for a big meal. Preparing a larger dinner — for the holidays or for any other time — means a lot of work, and in your efforts to prepare the perfect meal, you might inadvertently throw some foods down the drain that would be better off in the garbage instead of your plumbing. We see a lot of clogged drains this time of year, but with a little foresight, you can stop most clogs before they start and focus on the business of making Turkey Day the best it can be. Here’s a quick list of foods to watch out for.
- Bones. Most people know better than to throw bones, peach pits or the like down the drain, but it bears repeating. They can cause a jam in your garbage disposal and shut the appliance down until it gets repairs.
- Fibrous Vegetables. This includes potatoes, celery, carrots and other staples. Peelings can wrap around the gears in the garbage disposal, and get clogged in the drain to make for quite a stubborn back-up. If you peel vegetable in the sink, cover the drain first and remove all the peelings before opening it up again.
- FOG. This stands for fats, oils, and grease: three foodstuffs that liquefy when they get hot, but will cool and solidify when they’re placed in the drains. Never pour them down the drain. Instead, pour them into an empty can, set them aside, and throw them in the garbage when they cool.
- Coffee Grounds. Coffee grounds have a gritty consistency, which can stop up the gears in your garbage disposal. They also can expand when they get wet, creating the potential for a big clog in your pipes.
If you encounter a clog in your plumbing, call Hutchins Plumbing and AirConditioning today!
