Holiday
celebrations often include delicious food and time with friends and family.
While cooking in many homes is a labor of love, time for activities like
playing with grandkids, continuing one's reign as sibling trivia champion, or
simply catching up with loved ones is equally important. Consequently, food
remnants like potato peels may be swept into the kitchen sink during a quick
clean-up before joining the festivities. Unfortunately, such hasty choices may
give in to the reality of a clogged sink and, ultimately, be a source of
holiday dismay. While your local home service expert, like Snappy Services, may
offer emergency
plumbing services even over the holidays, learn more
about proactive prevention and remedies that can help you reduce the chances of
needing these unanticipated guests!
What a Clogged Drain or Sink Means for Your Home
Every home has its quirks. During the holidays, you may have individuals from many different households in your space but operating as they would usually do in their own homes. For example, your mother-in-law may be used to putting certain foods down the sink and plan for the disposal to take care of them, but she may forget that things don't work the same at your house! From kitchen disposals clogged with potato peels to bathroom sinks showing drainage issues, blockages that impede water flow are not unusual around the holidays.
Unfortunately,
a clogged drain or basin may mean other problems to navigate as well. For
example, slow draining may pose an issue for guests who want to shower or clean
up before the annual family photo. Kitchen sink use may be limited, preventing
dishware clean-up or could even start to smell! This can quickly become
unpleasant for all and an issue for holiday cooking needs. In even more dire
cases, water may not drain at all or waste water may actually back up into
sinks or tubs. Clearly, none of these circumstances are ideal, especially when
you are hosting. Having a trusted plumber to turn
to may help resolve such clogged drain problems if they occur, but there are
also a variety of strategies to help you avoid or quickly resolve such
water-related holiday horror stories!
Tips for Preventing Clogged Drains and Other Drainage Issues
Instead
of clogged sinks meaning the end of merriment, take preventative measures
around the holidays and throughout the year. That way, you'll be able to
schedule routine drain
cleaning or other system maintenance when it is convenient for you,
instead of when you are throwing this year's holiday gatherings. To help
minimize the need for emergency plumbing services, here are meaningful clogged
drainage strategies to employ!
Tip #1. How Your Household Can Help Prevent Clogged Drains, Sinks and Toilets!
With a
little communication to help everyone err on the side of caution and use common
sense, you will likely avoid issues over the holidays. Generally, if your
drains and other water system components are in great working order, then they
should be able to handle the increased frequency of kitchen and bathroom use
during any holiday. Here are some additional recommendations to help reduce the
potential for clogs:
- If these items aren't already in place, use
available drain strainers and screens in kitchens and bathrooms to prevent
food waste, hair and other items from interfering with water flow. Make
sure everyone knows that they should be in place, but task a member of
your household to clean them out, so your guests don't have to!
- To prevent a clogged shower drain while you have guests visiting,
ask everyone to wait about 10 minutes between showers. This approach is
especially helpful for slowly working drains because the drains need time
to work.
- To help avoid a clogged toilet, add a little sign on the
toilets in each bathroom to remind people that only toilet paper should be
flushed. Other items such as paper towels, face wipes, and feminine
hygiene products can cause drainage issues, as they typically don't
dissolve.
- Similarly, you might use cute notices in the kitchen to highlight
practices around composting, disposal use and more! Your guests don't want
clogged sinks or drains to interfere with the holiday fun any more than
you do, and this information helps them ensure that they understand your
home operations!
Tip # 2. How to Prevent a Drain or Disposal from Being Clogged with Potato Peels and More
In
general, the kitchen can be a dangerous place. In fact, the U.S. Fire
Administration notes that cooking is the most frequent cause of home
fires! Clogged drains and other sink issues may cause their own set of
problems. Here are 4 tips to help reduce drainage concerns:
- Do not pour cooking oil (or fat) down the drain
because it solidifies in the pipes.
- In addition to potato peels, there are many other items that
shouldn't be put in your disposal, because these substances cannot be
broken down adequately. From coffee grounds to celery, Better Homes and Gardens provides an
extensive list of disposal no-nos to complement the guidance provided by your
individual disposal manual.
- With the water running, turn the disposal on before putting the
appropriate waste down the drain.
- After each cup of waste is poured down the drain, take a pause.
Allowing the disposal to "catch up" helps reduce the chances of
waste accumulation and clogging.
Tip #3. How to Check the Garbage Disposal if Drainage Problems Occur
Drainage
issues are frequently caused by clogged garbage disposals. If you turn on the
disposal and hear a low hum instead of the usual motor sound, then it may be
time to take a closer look at your garbage disposal or call a professional plumber near you.
- First, make absolutely sure to turn off the
disposal and unplug it (or even turn the electricity off at the breaker
box to be safe). You might also just want to check the fuse box, in
general, to make sure that the breaker wasn't accidentally tripped.
- Then, use a flashlight to see if any food pieces or other debris are
interfering with disposal operations. Items like potato peel piles may be
able to be removed with tongs.
- If you find a more substantial build up of food waste, it may be
necessary to do a more comprehensive garbage disposal cleaning, such as
this process from This Old House, or clearing, as explained
by The Spruce.
- If you do not see any waste build up and the disposal will not cut
on, some units have a reset button on the bottom of the disposal. If this
continues to trip after being reset, you may need to contact a plumbing
professional.
If the
drainage issues persist even after the garbage disposal is clear and working,
then additional repair or service may be needed. CAUTION: Dealing with drainage
issues is stressful enough. If you feel uncomfortable or out of your element
with any clogged drainage care or solutions, then connect with the plumbing
experts near you to ensure your safety and avoid more substantial problems.
An Overview of Common Clogged Sink and Smelly Drain Remedies
In
addition to preventative measures and garbage disposal care, other DIY methods
may also aid in remedying drainage-related issues. Learn about some of the more
common tools and techniques below.
Drain Cleaners and Odor Removers
In
general, using chemicals can do more harm than good to the drain pipes.
However, there are a wide variety of drain cleaners available in addition to
DIY solutions. Many homemade cleaning solutions rely on baking soda, as
illustrated in these cleaner recipes from HGTV. The
extent to which either solution is effective often depends on the severity of
the clogged sink or drain. These solutions may also be helpful in addressing
the stink factor associated with poor drainage. Baking soda and vinegar
solutions often result in an explosive reaction so take precautions
accordingly. Here are two other ways to improve odors as needed or after clogs
have been eliminated:
- Lemon Peels: Throw some
lemon (or orange) peels down the drain and run the garbage disposal. The
citrus in the peels will help dissolve the smell.
- Ice: Fill the sink with a couple of cups of ice and run the cold water
with the garbage disposal. The blades grinding with the ice will help
scour the buildup and help dissolve the smell.
Plunger and Plumbing Snake Use
Sometimes,
the fix for a clogged drain is just removing the substance that is causing the
backup, which is why many homeowners keep a plunger handy. Home improvement
expert, Bob Vila, shares
more about how to choose a plunger (if you don't already have one) and how to
use it for various purposes. In some cases, the plunger will help clear or move
some of the blockage, but the drainage issues may remain. Then, homeowners
might try using a plumbing snake, which is able to go deeper into the pipes, or
turn to their local plumbing experts.
CAUTION:
Do NOT plunge the sink if you tried a commercial drain cleaner. The chemicals
in these products are typically dangerous if they touch your skin, so just
allow the drain cleaner to work through the sink.
Whether during the holidays or any time of year,
clearing clogged drains and sinks often means messy and time-consuming work.
While these tips, tools and techniques may help you prevent or address a clog,
more serious problems often require the help of plumbing professionals. To
ensure that your sinks, drains and disposals are clear and functioning
properly, Snappy Services offers 24/7 assistance. Take advantage of our
available plumbing coupons throughout the year and contact us
anytime, if you need help making
sure that your water flows smoothly!