3 Reasons to Address Plumbing Issues Before the Holidays
The last thing you want to think about when there's so much holiday activity to be managed is your plumbing. However, homeowners should address any pesky drain issues before they cook or entertain for the holidays. Here are some reasons to schedule a drain line inspection and other plumbing work now.
1. Drainage Lines Often Get Abused on Holidays
On holidays, cooks all over town pour their turkey grease, cooking oil, bacon fat, and other oily substances down drains. Some people send these forbidden substances into sewers by accident, and some people never learned that you don't want fat in your sewer lines.
Even if you don't pour grease and fats down the drain, your neighbors may. A backup could happen at the worst time. Have your drainage pipes inspected before the holidays so you know if sewer backups are in your lines or the main lines.
After you know your lines are clear, follow these best practices to protect your sewer lines:
- Keep grease and fats from all drains
- Keep grease out of garbage disposals
- Don't flush grease down toilets
- Pour liquid grease in bottles and dispose of them
- Let solid grease harden and dispose of it
- Mop up grease with rags and dispose of the rags
You may believe that running hot water down the drain along with the grease makes the grease flow
more easily down the drainage pipes. However, the melted grease and fats you send down your lines end up in the main line that services your neighbors' homes.
When your fats combine with the fats of others in the main sewer lines, and then those lines get cold, the fat hardens into impenetrable masses. Debris clings to the fat masses and creates longer clogs that require major removal efforts. Monster fat clogs can create backups in multiple homes along an affected sewer line.
Once you've made sure your drain lines are clear, keep them that way with some simple monthly maintenance.
Call our experts at Aurora Plumbing to find out what maintenance item will work best for your drains.
2. Your Sewer Drains Are Your Responsibility
You're responsible for repairing the section of sewer line from your home to the street. To find out if your drainage lines are the problem during a sewage backup, ask your neighbors if their lines are clogged too. If only your drains are backing up, your lines are most likely the issue.
Holidays can bring out the worst in neglected drain lines. If there's a clog or break in your sewer drains, the problem will be exacerbated when a dozen people use your toilet or you run multiple washing-machine loads of seasonal linens.
If you've been experiencing slow drains, gurgling toilets, or drainage problems, schedule a camera inspection of your sewer lines before you have a house full of guests. You can rest easy all winter knowing that your drains are free and clear of problems.
Schedule a plumbing and sewer line inspection in the Seattle area now by contacting Aurora Plumbing & Electric today. We have over 58 years of experience correcting sewer line problems, and we're available around the clock, seven days a week to solve your emergency drainage issues.
