Tips to Help You be Careful With Your Fall Cooking Habits

Fall means that the holidays are coming. Thanksgiving is the start of a busy and full season with lots of family and friends. One of the best parts of the holidays is getting to have many big meals with loved ones.

However, special meals mean lots of time in the kitchen and lots of time in the kitchen can mean problems for your pipes. Today we’ll talk about some easy things you can do to help protect your kitchen plumbing this fall and to avoid having plumbing problems during the busy holiday season.

Remember Grease Traps

When you’re busy cooking and dealing with lots of pots and pans, more often than not some grease and oil get down the drain. You do your best to avoid it, but it’s hard when you’re moving lots of dishes around and making a fancy meal.

Protect your kitchen plumbing from this inevitability by using grease traps. Grease traps go in your drain or waste pipe and keep grease from going through your plumbing system and into the sewer system.

This simple trap can avoid troublesome blockages and foul odors. Plus, it will give you peace of mind knowing that even in the most chaotic cooking days your pipes are protected.

Hot Water Every Week

Keeping your pipes clean is one of the best ways to protect them and to avoid having blockages or issues. An easy way that you can regularly work to keep your pipes clean is by pouring boiling water down the drain each week.

Once a week, fill a tea kettle with boiling water and, once the drain is clear, pour the boiling water down your sink. This will clear small blockages and buildups and will help to keep your pipes clean. It’s a small thing to add to the routine, but it can make a big difference for your pipes.

Garbage Disposal Reminders

During busy seasons, there can be a major strain on your disposal. This can lead to problems both for the disposal and for your pipes. To avoid a plumbing emergency, keep a few garbage disposal dos and don’ts in mind this fall:

• • Only put small food scraps down the garbage disposal; remember that it is not a trash can.
  • Never put grease or fats in the disposal.
  • Always use cold (not hot) water when running the garbage disposal.
  • Never put coffee grounds or starchy foods down the sink - while these might not hurt the disposal, they can cause clogs in your pipes.

• Be cautious about fibrous foods (i.e., banana peels, celery, eggshells) as they can wrap around the disposal and cause it to stall.

You don’t want your drain to clog or your disposal to go out in the midst of cooking a big meal, so keep these tips in mind to help ensure that your disposal and kitchen plumbing are working as they should. We hope these tips will help you to protect your kitchen plumbing this fall and that you have a wonderful fall season filled with many great meals!