Prepare Your Home and Yourself for the Most Dreaded Holiday Meal Chore
In a recent survey on Thanksgiving traditions and chores, pollsters found that 49.91% of people surveyed dreaded washing the dishes after the holiday meal. This year, instead of using paper plates or going to a restaurant to avoid this chore, prepare your kitchen for the holiday season. If you have the right appliances and fixtures in place before the holidays, cleaning up the dishes becomes much easier. To start, if you have slow drains, schedule drain cleaning to avoid slowdowns during the cleanup.
Drain Cleaning and the Holidays
Washing dishes often requires you to use your garbage disposal, dishwasher, and sinks to get the dishes clean. However, if your drains are slow from the buildup of grease or soap scum, your cleaning tasks will likewise slow as you wait for the water to flow down the drain.
Don’t wait for a drain to completely clog before calling for service. And never put chemical drain cleaner down drains, especially if you have a garbage disposal. These chemicals are highly caustic and can cause skin and eye irritation to those who use them.
Since your garbage disposal and dishwasher also drain through your kitchen sink, a slow drain will affect the operation of these appliances, too.
Consider a Second Sink
If you have only one sink in your home and need to expand, consider having a second sink installed. Two sinks in your kitchen give you twice as many places to wash dishes, cutting the chore in half. (As long as you have extra hands to help.)
Replace an Old Dishwasher
If you have an old dishwasher model, it may not clean your dishes efficiently. Consider upgrading to a more water and energy-efficient model that will clean better and cost you less to use. You may even want to choose a larger model than your existing appliances to fit more dishes inside for faster cleanup after large meals. As with other appliances, your dishwasher will only work well if you don’t have slow drains.
Contact Best Service Plumber for Help with Holiday Drain Cleaning
Before the holidays start, call us at Best Service Plumber at 951-356-9746 to schedule drain cleaning. We can keep your kitchen drains moving water out fast, so you can get the cleaning done quickly. We also offer a range of other residential plumbing services. Contact us for more information or if you have additional questions about us.
Get Your Garbage Disposal Ready for Holiday Cooking and Cleaning
One of the hardest working appliances in your kitchen often goes ignored until a problem occurs. The garbage disposal should break up food leftovers to flush down the water waste line. However, used incorrectly, this unit can have its blades dull or its motor burn out. Find out how to prevent problems, whether you can repair an existing issue, when to call a plumber, and when you need a new unit.
How to Prevent Disposal Problems
Preventing problems in a disposal unit will extend its life and let you avoid last-minute calls to a plumber. First, never put in unbreakable bones or fibrous vegetable matter into the disposal. Bones can shatter and send shards flying dangerously into the air. Fiber from vegetables, like celery, can wrap around the blades and entangle them, leading to jams.
Next, don’t attempt to continue running a jammed disposal. The unit will only burn out its motor since its blades cannot move.
Signs of a Problem and When to Call a Plumber
Most of the time, you may be able to fix a disposal problem yourself. If the unit has a jam, turn off the disposal and pull out the piece with pliers. Never put your hands or fingers into a disposal unit to avoid injury.
If your disposal does not break up food, fails to turn on, leaks, or has a jam that you cannot clear, you should call a plumber for repairs. These units may require specialty tools to remove or knowledge to fix. Therefore, a plumber will be your best option if your garbage disposal has a problem.
When You Might Need a New Garbage Disposal
You might need a new unit if the old one has its motor burned out. Ask the plumber conducting repairs if you will have better performance from getting your model repaired or by purchasing a new garbage disposal.
Call Us at Best Service Plumber for Garbage Disposal Repairs or Installation
While garbage disposals have a straightforward design, you should leave repairs and replacements to professionals. The combined use of water and electricity in these appliances and their sharp internal blades can create a danger for unwary DIYers. Contact us at Best Service Plumber at 951-356-9746 if you want to have your garbage disposal fixed before the holidays. With a new or repaired model, your home disposal will be able to handle the extra food waste from holiday feasts.
The Dos and Don’t of Using Garbage Disposals
Garbage disposals provide a convenient way to keep food out of landfills and reduce waste. However, if you misuse these appliances, you can cause more problems such as burned motors and clogs. Before you use your in-sink disposal unit next, make sure that you know the dos and don’ts of garbage disposals.
Do Run Cold Water During Use
When using garbage disposals, you should start running cold water into the sink first. Then turn on the disposal unit. Lastly, add the food waste while the water continues to run.
Cold water is important because it will not melt fats that could later solidify. Also, a steady stream of water ensures that the waste flows down the pipes without stopping and causing a blockage.
Do Keep Water Running After Turning Off the Disposal
Garbage disposals connect to the plumbing system. Therefore, you must ensure that the waste flows as far down the pipes as possible. Running cold water through the sink after you turn off the disposal ensures that the waste gets pushed along the pipes toward the sewer system with the force of the water.
Do Not Put Large Amounts of Food into Garbage Disposals
Your garbage disposal can only handle so much food waste. Try to cut waste into smaller pieces and feed a few at a time into the disposal unit. Putting too much food into the garbage disposal could put excess stress on the motor or clog the system.
Do Not Put Fat, Bones, or Grease into Garbage Disposals
Though garbage disposals have a design that makes them useful for breaking up food waste, there are some foods that you should not put into them. Never put fat, grease, or bones into your disposal. Fat and grease can solidify later in the plumbing system and stop other waste from reaching the sewer. Bones can wear out the blades or motor of the garbage disposal. They can also break into small, sharp pieces that could harm someone standing over the sink.
Do Contact a Plumber for Garbage Disposal Problems
If you have problems with your garbage disposal, don’t try to fix them yourself. These units use a combination of water and electricity and have sharp blades inside. Therefore, anyone not qualified should avoid making repairs or installations of these units.
Contact Best Service Plumber for Problems with Garbage Disposals and More
If you have garbage disposal problems or any other concerns with your home’s plumbing, let us at Best Service Plumber know. We can find the cause of the issue and make the necessary repairs to restore your plumbing’s operation. To make an appointment or request service, call us at 951-356-9631.