Tips to Avoid Post Holiday Plumbing Problems
After Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the biggest times of the year for plumbing problems and appliance problems. Overloaded garbage disposals, overused dishwashers and other breakdowns can take a serious toll on your happy holiday mentality! Follow these tips to make your post holidays less stressful:
Garbage Disposal Tips:
– Don’t put liquid fat, greases or oils down the disposal. Put them in an old container and throw it in the trash instead.
– Avoid putting small bones, seeds, pits or egg shells down the garbage disposer.
– Do not dispose of fibrous foods in the disposal like carrots, celery, corn husks and banana peels.
– Expandable foods like pasta and rice can swell inside and leave you with a clogged garbage disposal.
– Take away any unpleasant odors by frequently using a disposer degreaser or cleaner that is authorized by a garbage disposal manufacturer. Don’t put citrus and lemon peels in it to freshen up the scent. It may work now but they can corrode the metal inside your disposer eventually.
– After you use it, run cold water down the drain for about 15 seconds and make sure it flows smoothly. Some people say you should run the water while you run your garbage disposal but if waste is already stuck or gets stuck in the process, the water won’t help at all.
– Preventative: Having your kitchen drain snaked every couple of years for the sake of preventative maintenance. You never know what’s down there… even if you haven’t had a problem yet!
Dishwasher Tips:
– Your dishwasher drains into the same pipe as your sink does so it is important that it isn’t clogged. Try running your garbage disposal before you start your dishwasher to make sure that nothing is trapped inside.
– If the water in your dishwasher starts at a higher temperature you will get cleaner dishes so try running a little bit of hot water down your sink drain before you run your dishwasher.
– The perfect temperature setting for the best clean in your dishwasher is 120°F.
– Try to conserve water and energy by only running your dishwasher when it is fully loaded… and try to load it properly! Stacking your dishes inward and facing down will not only allow more dishes to fit but it will also give you the best clean. A full dishwasher is great but don’t overdo it or your dishes won’t get clean and you’ll have to run it again.
– Pre-rinse selectively. If you are going to use the amount of water you usually do to pre-rinse you are better off just washing the dishes. The quality of dishwashers and dishwasher soaps and detergents right now is high. One night try running a load without rinsing them first. You may be impressed with what you find!
