DAYTON, Ohio – Christmas sales come after Thanksgiving each year. So did the calls for a plumber.
“It is usually the busiest time of the year,” said Wesley Swearingen, director of sewage at Korrect Plumbing, which serves the Dayton area.
Grease down the drain, extra guests using the bathroom, and more can create plumbing issues and result in a predictable annual increase in calls for professional help.
Roto-Rooter reports that the company typically sees a 50 percent increase in call volume on an average Friday and a 21 percent increase in business on every other four-day weekend period.
“Extra guests mean more flushes, showers, dishes and laundry, which greatly increases the likelihood of a pipe or drain failure,” said Paul Abrams, Roto-Rooter spokesman.
There are ways to avoid problems. First, don’t pour any fat or sauce down the drain.
“That’s just grease down the drain and it will stick to your pipes,” Swearingen said.
He also recommends that people clean their drains and disposal facilities before Thanksgiving. Putting ice cubes in the disposal facility is an inexpensive and easy way to clean the blades as a preventative maintenance practice.
He also recommends using drain care products with enzymes that are safe for plumbing and introduce bacteria to keep them clean. Enzyme drain care products are a process that doesn’t work overnight, he said.
“Drains are like arteries and anything that goes down is like cholesterol,” said Swearingen. “Over time, they collect on the pipe walls, which restricts the pipe.”
In addition to cleaning before your vacation, he recommends treating the drain afterwards to avoid buildup.
Swearingen also said that sometimes high fiber foods have problems losing drain even with disposal, so the key is plenty of water before turning on the disposal. Even after turning off the disposal, keep the water running to ensure that the food gets to its destination.
Swearingen said one of the most important things to remember is to get your water up and running before adding food and disposing of it.
“You have to run your river before adding any boats,” he said. He also said to give small amounts at a time, he said.
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6 Tips to Avoid Plumbing and Drainage Problems During Thanksgiving Weekend:
– Do not pour fat or cooking oil down the drain. They freeze in pipes and clog drains.
– Keep potato peels, poultry skins, bones, rice and pasta away from the garbage disposal.
– Make sure that the disposal is running when you throw in leftover food.
– Do not flush wet wipes in the toilets. Most of them do not dissolve and clog the pipes.
– Place a plunger in powder rooms to save your guests the embarrassment of asking for it.
– Hand out showers and loads of laundry.
Source: Roto-Rooter
Story by Cox Newspapers
For use by customers of the New York Times News Service
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