Who doesn’t love the transition from summer to fall? Goodbye brutal heat, hello crisp mornings. Not to mention, Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Spending time with family, cooking together, eating a delicious meal – no wonder Thanksgiving is a beloved holiday in the U.S. Let’s take it back to the cooking for a minute, though. The more people in your kitchen, the bigger the chance you have for something to go wrong with your kitchen plumbing.
Are you prepared to protect your kitchen from accidental plumbing mishaps this fall? Ensuring your grease traps and garbage disposal are cared for properly, as well as performing some drain maintenance can keep everything running smoothly this holiday season. Let’s take a look at how.
Peace of Mind With a Grease Trap
Grease going down the kitchen drain is one of the main causes of common sewer line backup. Essentially, when you have fats and oils being disposed of down your kitchen sink, they can build up and clog your sewer line, quickly leading to a clog.
Some people choose to avoid this by saving their grease in mason jars. This is one solution, but when you have more than one person cooking over the holidays, some grease is bound to go down the drain. The last thing you want is a clogged sink before a big family dinner!
So, how can you avoid this? Easy solution – install a grease trap. When you have a grease trap installed, it works to cool hot greasy water when it travels through your drain. It then traps the oil, grease, and fat and prevents it from reaching your sewer system. Voila! Dinner is saved.
Hot Water Is the Secret to Clean Drains 
The key step to the proper maintenance of your plumbing is being proactive with your prevention. Keeping your kitchen plumbing running smoothly is important, especially during the holidays when it’s seeing some extra use.
With all of the amazing cooking taking place in your kitchen, it’s inevitable that your drains are going to see some things going down that shouldn’t. We’ll let you in on a little secret: Pour hot water weekly down the drain to keep things free and clear. This is one of the best preventative measures you can take this fall to avoid a clogged drain disaster.
Your Garbage Disposal Line of Defense
Speaking of keeping things free and clear, your garbage disposal is one of the best ways to keep your sink running smoothly. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of common misconceptions about what can and cannot go through a garbage disposal.
Before you begin your Thanksgiving meal prep, take some time to review these guidelines on what to send through your disposal:
Don’t Put in the Garbage Disposal
- Coffee Grounds
- Bones
- Nuts
- Trash
- Apple Cores or Peach Pits
- Paint
- Corn Husks
- Harsh Chemicals
- Oatmeal
Okay in Moderation for Your Garbage Disposal
- Egg Shells
- Rice
- Potatoes and Other Starches
- Onion Peels
- Pasta
If you’re expecting your kitchen to see some extra cooking activity this holiday, be sure to review these tips with your fellow cooks. When you take care of your kitchen plumbing, your kitchen plumbing will take care of you.
