The holiday season brings joy, family, and a lot of cooking and dishes. This presents a serious risk of clogged drains. As you increase your cooking and entertaining, your kitchen sink and garbage disposal face extra use. Food scraps, grease, and increased water use all work to create blockages when you need your sink the most. Fortunately, we have the expertise to help you prevent these issues. From Thanksgiving through the New Year in Sarasota and Southwest Florida, your drains are at risk. This holiday season, it’s up to you to prevent drain clogs. Here are five useful tips you should implement with the help of ABC Southwest Plumbing & Air Conditioning.
1. Always Scrape Plates and Pans Before Rinsing
One of the best ways to avoid drain clogs involves properly disposing of your leftovers. You should instruct your household members and guests to scrape all food waste directly into the trash. Even small bits of food can accumulate quickly and cause clogs. Taking the time to perform this step during cleanup will significantly reduce the risk of needing professional assistance with your kitchen plumbing. This saves you both time and money. If you do end up with a sink clog or garbage disposal issue, we’re always here to help. We can perform fast diagnostics and come up with a plan of action to get your disposal working again.
2. Never Pour Grease, Oil, or Fat Down the Drain
Fat, oil, and grease are a drain’s worst enemies. While these substances may be liquid when hot, they cool and then solidify inside your pipes. This debris clings to pipe walls and can create massive blockages. Skipping this preventive step is a leading cause of severe clogs that require professional drain cleaning services to fix.
Other items to avoid putting into your disposal include starchy foods, fibrous foods, bones, and garbage. Perform a routine cleaning every few weeks. Pour approximately ½ cup of baking soda into your drain. Follow it with ½ cup of white vinegar. Allow the mixture to sit in the drain for at least one hour. This will help break apart minor clogs.
3. Use Your Disposal Correctly
When using your garbage disposal, you must use plenty of cold water along with it. Cold water helps small food particles remain solid so disposal blades can effectively grind them up. You should run the water for about 30 seconds before and after using the disposal to ensure everything flushes completely through. Also, you must never overfill the disposal. Add food scraps slowly and in small batches. This prevents jamming and ensures the drain has enough water present to push the material completely through the plumbing lines.
4. Schedule Preventive Drain Maintenance
While taking precautions is important, even the most diligent homeowner will benefit from preventive maintenance. Over time, hair, soap scum, and small amounts of grease build up in your pipes. Before the holiday season, you will want to consider a thorough drain cleaning service. A professional cleaning flushes out existing buildup, ensuring your drains are running free and clear. This simple step will greatly reduce the likelihood of a clog when you are hosting a house full of guests. This is where we come in and help.
5. Know When It Is Time to Call a Plumber
Even with the best preparation, clogs do still happen. You must learn to recognize the signs that a problem is brewing. This will signal that it’s time to call a professional. Waiting too long can turn a simple clog into a complicated emergency. Watch out for these warning signs:
- Water draining slowly
- Gurgling sounds coming from drains or toilets
- Unpleasant odors from the sink or tub
- Water backing up in drains
- Pooling water in your yard
- Increase in water usage
If you see any of these indicators, you should contact us immediately. We will arrive promptly and handle the blockage before it floods your holiday plans.
Your Trusted Partner for Plumbing and Drain Cleaning in Sarasota, FL
The holidays should be a time for celebration, not plumbing emergencies. We are ready to serve as your trusted local expert for all your plumbing needs throughout Southwest Florida. In addition to our top-tier drain cleaning, we also offer comprehensive services for garbage disposals and general plumbing repairs. We offer reliable 24/7 emergency repair services. Don’t let a stubborn clog ruin your holiday gathering. You should rely on the experts at ABC Southwest Plumbing & Air Conditioning for fast, professional service and get back to enjoying your time with family and friends.
Contact ABC Southwest Plumbing & Air Conditioning today to schedule professional drain cleaning in the Sarasota area.
