Griffin’s friendly Arroyo Grande plumbers are here to help you and your family prepare your home plumbing for the most magical time of the year…the holidays! No matter how you choose to celebrate, whether you’re hosting a houseful of family, or getting together with good friends for a dinner party, here are proactive plumbing tips to keep in mind this holiday season.
Avoid annoying clogs that can grind your good cheer to a halt with these key facts, starting in the kitchen:
Adding mesh screens to your drains is a smart idea.
Fitted mesh screens to protect the drain in your kitchen sink is a small investment that makes a big difference! While you’re busy cooking up a feast, these screens will stop unwanted particles from going down your drain. Be sure to empty it regularly, or as food particles become stuck. Consider adding these screens to your bathtub drain to prevent shedding hair from clogging up your home plumbing too!
Don’t let grease go down the grain.
It’s incredibly damaging to your home plumbing system. If you wind up deep-frying a turkey this Thanksgiving (or whipping up BLTs anytime) be sure to keep the resulting grease from getting down the drain. Why? Well, once grease reaches your drain and cools, it begins to congeal and clog, which could very well damage (or even ruin!) your garbage disposal. Instead, collect cooled cooking oils, fats and grease in an empty milk jug and dispose of in the garbage.
Be kind to your disposal.
Your disposal is best used to discard small particles that end up down your drain, not all of your scraps from dinner prep or the meal itself. It’s also a good practice to flush your garbage disposal with cold water for at least 10 seconds before and after use. We’ve covered this before, but a quick refresher – do not put turkey skin, carrots, celery, rice, or coffee grounds down the disposal.
Run your dishwasher at night.
Whenever possible, run your dishwasher at night while water usage is typically low.
Now for helpful plumbing hints for your bathroom…
Any pre-existing plumbing problem related to your sewer system will only get worse as more folks use the bathroom. Be sure your home plumbing is in good working order before you have a houseful! Griffin’s Arroyo Grande plumbers can help with proactive solutions to get your home set for guests to arrive.
Space out showers.
Consider asking your guests to space out showers by 10 minutes in order to let your home water pressure build up. This way, everyone is able to enjoy a relaxing, steaming hot shower.
Don’t treat the toilet like a trash can.
Often, toilet clogs come from items that shouldn’t have been flushed in the first place. Yes, even “flushable” wipes can be to blame because despite what the packaging says…they aren’t actually flushable and can can cause real problems to your home plumbing system. While you likely know what’s what, your guests may not. If you happen to be hosting friends and family, considering a discreet framed sign that reads “TP only, please” to avoid pesky plumbing problems during an important holiday event.
With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to schedule a proactive home plumbing maintenance appointment with Griffin’s Arroyo Grande plumbers. Our friendly experts will keep your home plumbing running smoothly, so you can enjoy spending time with the people you care about this holiday season. Contact our Arroyo Grande plumbing pros at (805) 934-1949 or griffin-plumbing.com/contact/ today!
