Thanksgiving Food to Avoid Putting Down Your Drain

November 16, 2015


thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving is almost here which means delicious food will be cooking in the kitchen. While this sounds great, family, friends and food there is a downside. Did you know that Thanksgiving dinner is one of the worst things that can happen to your pipes?

Plumbing service calls tend to jump 50% above average the day after Thanksgiving. Don’t let your home be part of the statistic; the holiday alone can be stressful enough.

Thanksgiving food to avoid putting down your drain:

Turkey grease: When making the holiday gravy your recipe will usually call for turkey drippings. Turkey drippings are comprised of mainly grease, fat and oil. These substances are terrible for your pipes. While turkey grease is in liquid form when hot, it solidifies when it cools off which in turn can clog your pipes.

Potato skins: When dumped down the drain in large numbers your pipes will have a hard time handling them, they often create a paste that can clog up the drains.

Turkey bones: While you may think a few bits and pieces going down the drain will be harmless, turkey bones can actually completely destroy your garbage disposal.

Celery, onions, and eggshells: The stringy parts from these items can wrap around the inside of your garbage disposal, in turn causing it to stop working.

Pasta and rice: Pasta is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to clogs in plumbing. When pasta and rice are put in water they expand. Once down the drain when the pasta or rice swells up it can create a glue-like substance. You can guess what happens next, a clog.

When Thanksgiving rolls around remind anyone who is helping you in the kitchen to be mindful when putting things down the drain. Inform them of what should and shouldn’t be thrown down it.

If the thought of clogs on Thanksgiving still bothers you it’s a great idea to have our home’s plumbing inspected before the holiday, (especially if you are already encountering problems). If a clog does occur don’t hesitate to give A.J. Perri a call, we can eliminate any stoppage in your plumbing system.

 

Last Updated: March 21, 2024