Holiday and Winter Drain Protection: Basic Millcreek Strategies

With the holiday season already upon us, many families celebrate by getting together at least once. For those hosting these celebrations, that means a few home components may undergo more strain than usual, and a great example here is your plumbing drain setup. 

At Neighborly Plumbing & Services, we're happy to provide a wide range of drain cleaning and related services to our Millcreek clients, services that are often especially valuable to our customers this time of year. If you know your home will be occupied by a much larger number of people than normal this holiday or winter season, this two-part blog series will cover some tips for how to prepare your drains and ensure they're protected from the additional role they'll play.

Use the Garbage Disposal Frequently -- And Properly

Food preparation is one major part of throwing a holiday celebration, and it's important to use the garbage disposal both frequently and properly during the party. Frequent use of the garbage disposal is one way to help keep your drains free of excess food particles that might otherwise be able to accumulate and clog them up.

However, it's also important to avoid grinding certain types of foods in this appliance -- especially fibrous ones like celery, corn husks or artichokes. These cellulose-rich items can accumulate in the drain pipes, increasing your risk of clogs.   

Time Between Shower Usage

If you have guests staying in your home for multiple days at a time, we recommend asking them to wait 15 minutes in between the use of the shower. This will allow drains enough time to handle the flow of water, protecting them from clogs or slow-draining issues.

Keep Bathroom Sinks and Showers Clear

Ensuring bathroom sinks are kept clear during any holiday gathering is another important way to protect your home's drain system. Solidified hair can accumulate in sinks and shower drains at a rapid pace between showers, leading to clogging up if not maintained properly.

One method to utilize here is the use of traps, which help ensure all hair and other debris is caught, avoiding these common drain problems.

Grease Scraping

In cases where your food preparation involves the accumulation of grease on pans or other cookware, it's important to scrape this grease into the garbage rather than down the drain. This will help reduce the chances of your drains becoming clogged and backed up. If you absolutely must put grease down your drain or garbage disposal, we strongly recommend doing so with very hot water, which will heat the grease to a liquid form and allow it to mostly pass through without solidifying.

For more on how to protect your plumbing drains this holiday season and winter, or to learn about any of our drain cleaning or other plumbing services in Millcreek, speak to the staff at Neighborly Plumbing & Services today.