Your Holiday Wish List

By Bill Aldridge

I realize that it is less than a week until the Christmas holiday.  You are probably busy trying to put the last minute touches on the holiday decorations, the menu for Christmas dinner, not to mention completing Santa’s list and getting ready for the arrival of relatives.  So this is probably not the time of year that you normally spend a lot of time thinking about your plumbing.  But perhaps it should be.  With the holidays can come stress not only to you, your budget and your household, but also to your home’s plumbing.  The influx of guests can have a number of unexpected consequences to your plumbing that can do more damage to your holiday budget than a few Chistmas gifts ever could.  So in order to keep you from adding a plumber to your list of holiday guests, I have prepared a list of items that you should double check while you still have time.

The Ghost of Christmas Dinner Past

While the stresses of preparing the holiday feast can leave many overwhelmed, think of how your pipes feel.  Particularly if you allow relatives or family friends to help you with the cleanup after the dinner is done, there is a high probability that they might wind up putting something down the drain or the disposal that can stop your pipes up cold.  This being said, I have come up with a short list of items that you should print out and tack above the sink come Christmas.

Santa requests that you don’t put the following into the disposal:

Turkey

Stuffing

Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Potato Peels

Onion Peels

Celery or Squash

Leftover Casseroles

Pumpkin Pie

(All of the above need to be discarded in the trash.  Thanks from Mrs. Claus.)

The problem with peels, rinds and fat is that they can stop either the disposal or congeal in the pipes leading from it.  If you notice that the water is slow to drain from your sink after doing the holiday dishes, try filling your sink with hot water and a few drops of liquid dish detergent.  Then pull the plug and hope for the best.  If you notice a foul odor emanating from the disposal, below is a video that shows you how to solve this problem.

Bathroom Backup

As bad as the kitchen sink can be when it comes to holiday backups, the bathroom can be even worse.  This is largely due to such things as grooming products, cosmetics and hair.  If any of your guests bring along with them infants or tots it is a certainty that they will also tote disposable diapers, which many people believe can be flushed.  (Mainly because it says so on the package.)  Toddlers are also renown for flushing toys and other objects down the commode.  So you need to keep a weather eye on them as well.

If the toilet does become clogged, don’t panic.  Below is a description of how to deal with this dilemma.

When it comes to sink clogs, the last thing you want to do is reach for a caustic drain cleaner.  (In fact if you have young children around I wouldn’t even have these products in the house at all.) 

Step #1: Remove the drain and clean it out.

Many times the clog is either in the drain or just below it where you can fish it out with a pair of needle nosed pliers.

Step #2: Remove the P-Trap

If it is further down the drain than that, then I recommend that you watch the video below to learn how to remove the Popup Assembly.  Any clog located beyond that point will require you to first attempt to plunge and then snake the drain.

The problem with caustic drain cleaners is not only are they dangerous to handle and use, but they don’t just dissolve the clog, they also tend to erode the pipes as well.  The cost of hiring a plumber to snake your drain is preferable to having him tear open a wall or floor to replace a burst pipe.  Also bear in mind that if improperly handled, caustic drain cleaners can also land you in the ER. 

If you absolutely, positively want to try to soften the clog, here is a recipe for a non-toxic drain cleaner that you can try.

First you need to drain all the standing water out of the bowl.  Then add a box of baking soda and a half bottle of vinegar into the toilet or sink and let it stand for several hours or overnight. .  This mixture will immediately start to foam.  After allowing the baking soda/vinegar mixture to do its thing all night long, try pouring a bucket of hot water into the bowl (or sink) and flushing the toilet, followed by one more round of plunging if necessary.  If this doesn’t get the job done, it’s time to call in the professionals.

With a little foresight and a handy backup plan you and your guests should be able to get through the holiday without yours truly having to come down the chimney.  So here’s wishing you a safe and happy holiday from the doctor of Plumbology.

Bill Aldridge is the Doctor of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful plumbing tips and how-to videos, go to http://aldridgesonsplumbing.com

Plumbing & the Great Outdoors

By Bill Aldridge

In the dark days before plumbing was invented, the bathroom was synonymous with the great outdoors.  Now that we have the modern convenience of indoor plumbing, most people don’t give the great outdoors much of a thought.  But maybe they should.  The reason I say this is due to the fact that a fair proportion of the plumbing issues we are called upon to solve involve situations caused by factors outside of the home.  Below are some examples.

Root Intrusion

The reason so many people live in the suburbs as opposed to the big city is for the fresh air and greenery.  The only problem is that green things like shrubs and trees have roots that run deep. If you think an oak tree is big, you should see their root systems.  While the roots are used to provide the nutritional requirements of trees, they are also preprogrammed to search for any source of available water.  It’s this love of water that makes root intrusion one of the primary reasons that sewer lines clog, sometimes partially and sometimes completely.  This is why it is important to call out your friendly neighborhood plumber before a slow sewer becomes a stopped sewer.  We have the tools to inspect and correct root intrusion before it ruins your day. 

Leaf Litter

Autumn is the time of year when leaves fall from the trees.  It is also a time of the year when converging cold fronts come together to create heavy rain as they pass through Jacksonville.  Put the two together and you the formula for a disaster of biblical proportions.  Leaf litter tends to clump together, clogging gutters and drains.  As anyone who works around water knows, if it can’t find the shortest way to exit a building or parking lot, it will make some other arrangement.  This means backups and flooding, either of which can be expensive to remediate.  So rule number one to keep this problem from causing damage is to make sure that gutters and drains are kept free of leaf litter.  Depending upon the amount of trees you have in your yard you may need to clear them out several times in the fall and winter

Critters

While most people as a rule do not live with wildlife, sometimes wildlife decides to move in with them.  Small animals such as squirrels, raccoons and the occasional opossum have been known to set up housekeeping in or near homes, sometimes blocking a drain or vent in the process.  Even nesting birds can clog up the works, particularly in vent stacks that need to remain open in order for your plumbing to perform its job properly.  They have also been known to clog up downspouts as well.  I have also known fire ants to nest in leaf litter that has been left untended for too long.

Wear and Tear

Believe it or not, simple wear and tear on outdoor fixtures and pipes are rampant in the winter months.  Even though we don’t see the kind of weather extremes that they do up north, the occasional hard freezes that we do experience take their toll as pipes, faucets sprinkler lines and hoses contract and expand, sometimes resulting in cracks that tend to foster leaks.   My advice to homeowners is to check all their outdoor faucets and sprinkler system at least twice per year (Spring and Fall) to make sure that they are all functioning properly and that there are no noticeable defects.  Also this is an excellent time to also inspect your sewer cleanout to prevent potential sewer backups. (see video above)

The bottom line if you hope to keep your home free from the ravages of the great outdoors is to take the time to do a little preventative maintenance twice per year.  And thank your lucky stars that you don’t live in the part of the country where bears, cougars and coyotes reside.  Because it takes more than the services of a plumber to resolve those issues.

Bill Aldridge is the Doctor of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful plumbing tips and how-to videos, go to http://aldridgesonsplumbing.com

Signs of a Sewer Clog

By Bill Aldridge

If your home is more than 30 years old then chances are that it has a cast iron sewer line.  While these old warhorses of the plumbing industry had their time and place, the problem is that iron rusts.  This means that over the years these lines begin to degrade and will inevitably clog, necessitating the kind of intervention that takes a backhoe and can leave your yard looking like the trenches systems of WWI.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is that the entire repair should take no more than a few days by a licensed plumbing company and you don’t need to start tearing up the yard until you see obvious signs of a backup.

The bad news is that once the line does begin to clog you definitely don’t want to stick your head in the sand and assume that the problem will go away.  If anything it will quickly get worse and worse until it is all but impossible to empty a sink or flush a toilet without the water backing up.  In fact, the toilet is one of the first signs you will usually see of an impending problem, since it has a direct path to the sewer and is connected to one of the biggest lines in the house.

Other systems in the bathroom such as the bathtub and shower will also quickly become unusable in the event of a sewer stoppage and no amount of plunging will fix the problem.   However, it doesn’t hurt to check to see whether the tub drain is clogged, especially if there are no other obvious signs of a backup elsewhere.  See the video below to learn how to fix this problem.

Other symptoms of a blockage can include one or more of the following:

1.      When you flush the toilet water comes up in the bathtub.

2.      When you are using the sink next to the toilet, air bubbles start emanating from the toilet.

3.      When you run the dishwasher or the washing machine, the toilet overflows.

4.      A persistent gurgling sound that occurs after you use the washing machine or dishwasher.

5.      Foul odors emanating from more than one sink.

While these symptoms could be signs of other problems, such as air being trapped in the system or a blockage somewhere in the system, if the toilets are not functioning properly then you should definitely call in a plumber.  If you have a main line clean out, you can check for a clog by opening the clean out and visually inspecting for any water or waste that could be collecting there.  If water is either standing in the pipe or water comes out of the pipe the moment you remove the cap, then you definitely have a main line blockage.

Having a blockage does not necessarily mean that the sewer has collapsed or is irretrievably blocked.  Just like your household plumbing, sewer lines that have become blocked can sometimes be cleared with a sewer drain snake.  All manners of things that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet but are, including diapers, toys and the occasional towel can form a clog that needs to be cleared out by a professional.  Tree roots can also find egress into lines that can eventually slow and even stop the flow of water. 

Even if the sewer itself does become compromised, requiring replacement, this is still cheaper than letting the system back up to the point where water and/or raw sewage backs up into the home which will entail even more costly remediation after the sewer line is replaced.  The best way to avoid any worst case scenario is to call in a licensed plumber as soon as you detect any potential backup.  The earlier you catch a backup, the easier it is to isolate, identify and remedy.  Waiting will only run the risk of creating a problem that can only be solved with heavy machinery and a crew.

Bill Aldridge is the Doctor of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville. Florida.  For more helpful plumbing tips and how-to videos, go to http://aldridgesonsplumbing.com

Why it’s important to hire a licensed plumbing contractor

By Bill Aldridge

A Plumber at work. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you scan the newsfeeds like I do every day then you see all kinds of crazy stories about people getting burned by unlicensed contractors.  Like most people, the motivation behind hiring an unlicensed contractor has to do with saving money.  While this is an excellent reason to look before you leap, more often than not the people who hire unlicensed contractors wind up paying more instead of less.  This is due to the fact that while unlicensed contractors talk a good game many wind up being unable or unwilling to complete the job. 

Case in point:

3 unlicensed Contractors Banned in N Dakota

Nelson received $40,825 from three consumers to repair sewer lines and install heating and cooling systems, but failed to properly install the appliances or finish the projects. He has been criminally charged with 19 counts of failure to have a plumber's license.

What will happen here is that the homeowner or business owner will now be forced to pay twice for the same job.  While this sounds like a case of a hard lesson learned, this is by no means the worst case scenario.  Worse than having an unlicensed contractor abscond with the deposit or do a partial repair would be for them to perform the job improperly, in which case either of the following two conditions will prevail:

      1.      The repair will have to be repaired

      2.      The repair will fail and cause damage to the structure.

In either of the above mentioned situations the cost to rectify the problems created by an unlicensed contractor can be extremely expensive.  In many cases the damage done isn’t covered under the homeowner’s policy and you can rest assured that the unlicensed contractor doesn’t have any.  More importantly, there is a better way to get the job done while saving money at the same time.  You see, just as licensed contractors such as I have to put in long hours of study and practical experience to become licensed, knowing how to choose the right contractor for the job is an acquired skill as well.

Step 1: The Pre-Interview

With the advent of the Internet you don’t have to take a contractor’s word that they are honest, courteous and reliable.  You can check out their credentials at the click of a mouse.  To start off, do a search and start checking out plumber websites.  See if they have any videos that tell you what they are all about, as well as testimonials from customers.  Next go to Google Local and type in the name of their business and see for yourself if they have any positive or negative reviews by former customers.  If they have a blog, read a few posts so that you will get to know the type of people with whom you will be dealing.  You will be surprised at what you can learn online nowadays.

Step 2: The Phone Interview

Before allowing prospective contractors to set foot inside your door, you should ask if they are licensed and how much liability insurance they carry.  The last thing you want is to have your property damaged during a repair only to find out that the contractor is either not insured or under insured.

Step 3: The Interview

Once you feel comfortable about your choice of contractors, line up a few and invite them over.  When asking for a quote, make sure that it is in writing.  Also make sure that you ask them about their experience with the intended repair, as well as he length of time they estimate it will take to complete the job.  Also ask the contractor if the quote includes all materials or whether you will be charged an additional fee for needed parts and supplies after the fact. 

Step 4: Permitting

While many plumbing jobs do not require a permit to be pulled, some do.  If you are unsure, make sure you ask the prospective contractor s if a permit is going to be required, who is going to pull the permit, and whether you will have to miss time from work in order to let the inspector onto your property.

Step5: References

While a plumber’s website may have a number of glowing testimonials, it is always a good idea to also ask any potential contractor for three references that you can call.  Don’t assume that the clean cut, soft-spoken young man that shows up to give you a quote is going to be the person tasked to do the work.  You could be in for a rude awakening.  When calling a contractor’s references, ask if the plumbers sent to do the repair were courteous.  Did they arrive promptly?  Did they clean up after themselves?  Also do not be afraid to ask point blank if there was any reason that they would be reluctant to work with this contractor in the future.  While getting a deal on a repair or remodeling job might look good on paper, if the contractor is consistently late, if their subcontractors are noisy or messy, or if the repair or remodeling leaves a lot to be desired, then you could find out after the fact that maybe the lowest price isn’t always the best deal.

Step 6: The Contract

Once you select a contractor with which to work, you need to see a contract that defines the task in its entirety.  All the I’s need to be dotted and the T’s need to be crossed.  If there is anything in the job description that seems a little fuzzy, or if the contractor is unwilling to put any part of the repair or remodel in writing, then it’s time to move onto another candidate.  They don’t call them contractors for nothing.  If it isn’t in the contract then you can rest assured that it is not covered.  Period.

The bottom line is that if you master the skill of choosing the right contractor then you will always be able to save money in the long run.  Since most people own their home for many years, this little policy will always pay big dividends.  And that’s like money in the bank.

Bill Aldridge is the Doctor of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful plumbing tips and helpful how-to videos, visit http:// aldridgesonsplumbing.com

Some Like it Hot

By bill Aldridge

In my previous blog, “The Gargoyle in the Garage,” I wrote about the utility guzzling monster called a water heater that can devour up to twenty five percent of your home’s energy.  Other than replacing an old water heater with a newer more energy efficient model, there is one other way to put this beast on a leash: Reduce the water temperature.

The first thing you will want to do is determine to what temperature your water heater is already set.  To do this you will need to use a little kitchen tech.  Go ask your wife if you can borrow a candy thermometer.  Don’t worry macho man, she will know what it is you are seeking.  Once you fetch it, go to the faucet that’s closest to the water heater and run the water for about a minute.  This will allow the cooler water standing in the pipes to exit so that you can more accurately judge the temperature setting.  Hold the thermometer under the flow for thirty seconds or so until the mercury in the thermometer stops rising.  Then read the temp.  If the temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit, then this is the setting that nearly every manufacturer recommends.  If the temperature is higher than 120, then either you have an older dishwasher without a preheater in your home, or the thermostat on your water heater is set way too high.  (It’s probably cheaper in the long run to invest in a more energy-efficient dishwasher if the former is the case.) 

If you do need to reset the thermostat and you have a gas water heater, the process is simplicity itself.  Look for the dial located on the front of the gas control. (It us usually either red or black) To adjust your water heater simply rotate the dial to a slightly cooler setting and then come back in about six hours to perform the cookie thermometer test once again.  Repeat as needed until the temperature is registering anywhere from 115 to 120 degrees.

If you have an electric water heater, the procedure is a bit more complicated. First of all you will need to go to the breaker box and throw the switch labeled “Water Heater” in order to kill the juice to the unit.  Next you will have to remove an access panel or two (if you happen to have a dual element heater) and pull the insulation to one side so you can see the thermostat.  (It should have temperature readings clearly visible.)  It may also have a plastic cover that you will need to remove.  The thermostat adjusting screw should be located just above the element.  You will need a small standard screwdriver to adjust the temp. Make sure you replace the cover and redistribute the insulation to as close to the way you found it as possible. Then reinstall the access panel(s) and switch back on the power.  Wait at least six hours before retesting the water temp.

When it comes to water temperature, having the temp set too high not only wastes money, it can also be dangerous, particularly if you have small children at home.  Any setting at or above 130 can produce second degree burns even on adults.   Many people find that a setting of 110-155 degrees is not only sufficient for washing and bathing, but it saves them money month in and month out.  In fact the only time that you ever want to set a water heater to 140 degrees is if and only if the water emanating out of it has a distinctly unpleasant aroma.  This could be caused by bacteria, which can be eliminated by turning the temperature up to 140.  Just remember to turn the temp back down before anyone uses the hot water in any sink or shower.  An hour or so at 140 should prove sufficient to eradicate any bacteria.  The hot water you get into by forgetting to turn the temp back to 110-120 could haunt you for the rest of your life.

Another money saving tip is to insulate the pipes that emanate from the top of the water heater.  The handy video below demonstrates how to perform this task.

Bill Aldridge is the Doctor of Plumbology at Aldridge & Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful plumbing hints and how-to videos, visit http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com

The Gargoyle in the Garage

Want to see something really scary?  With Halloween waiting in the wings I thought you might like to hear a true story of things that go bump in the night.  Because lurking in the depths of your home, hidden either in your garage or buried in a closet is a gargoyle that is scaly, it’s ugly, it breathes fire and it’s hungry.  In fact it can devour as much as a quarter of the energy it takes to run your home month in and month out.  Before you start searching for the number of the Ghost Busters allow me to clarify the situation by pointing out that I am talking about your home’s water heater.

I realize that most people do not live in fear of their water heater.  But maybe they should.  If left to its own devices any traditional water heater that is at least ten years old can eat you out of house and home, since hard water deposits called scale makes these units progressively less energy efficient as time goes on. 

1.      The average water heater consumes up to 25% of the power that the typical homeowner pays for month in and month out.

2.      Since this contraption is literally out of sight and out of mind, it isn’t unusual for most people to ignore the thing until they wake up to find an inch or so of water on the floor due to the fact that their heater gave up the ghost.

3.      The average life of a water heater is thirteen years.  After that, contaminants in the water tend to collect around the heating element, making the heater even less energy efficient. 

4.      Speaking of energy efficiency, today there are a number of alternatives to the traditional water heater.  These alternatives take up less space and/or use up far less energy.  (More on that later.)

If you want your water heater to last longer and work more efficiently I highly recommend that you flush the system once per year.  To accomplish this you will need to first turn off the power to the heater by flipping off the circuit breaker.  If your heater is gas fired, turn the thermostat to the “pilot” setting. Then turn off the water coming into the unit and connect a hose to the drain located toward the bottom of the unit.  Do NOT open the valve yet.  If you do you run the risk of creating a vacuum in the system. 

To prevent that from happening you need to turn on one of the hot water faucets on a nearby sink or tub.  Now you can open the tap on the water heater to drain the hot water from the system.  Just be sure that your kids or pets do not get too close to the far end of the hose, since the water that will come streaming out if it will be piping hot.  Your plants will also not appreciate a hot shower either, so my advice is to lead the hose down the driveway to the curb.

Once the heater empties you want to leave the drain open while turning the supply line back on.  This will help clear some of the crud that has built up on the bottom of the tank over the years.  Once the water runs clear from the hose only then should you close the drain.  (Also, don’t forget to turn off the hot water running in the kitchen sink.)  Give the tank a few minutes to fill before turning back on the electricity or the gas.  It’s possible to do damage to the heater if you turn on the power with the tank empty.

Last but not least, once the water heater has had a chance to heat the water in the tank you need to test the pressure relief valve.  This is the safety device located at the top of the tank that is designed to prevent the pressure inside the tank from building to dangerous levels.  If this device proves faulty you will want to have it replaced by a plumber.

While flushing the heater is one way to keep this beast at bay, it is not the only way to save money when it comes to energy efficiency.  When it comes time to replace your existing water heater you might want to consider either a tankless or a hybrid system.  These units not only more energy efficient but they can save space as well.

Tankless systems are the ultimate in power efficiency since they make hot water on demand…as much as you want.  Unlike traditional water heaters that expend the majority of their power consumption on maintaining the temperature of water stored inside the tank, tankless heaters only operate when you turn on the tap.  Another couple of advantages of a tankless system are that you never run out of hot water.  This is especially useful if you have a large family or when the overnight guests come for a visit.  They also take up less than a third of the space of a traditional water heater.  Some can even be installed outside, which is the ultimate space saver.  The downside is that tankless heaters tend to be a bit pricier than traditional units.  If you take the long term approach and factor in the energy saved, these systems will ultimately pay for themselves.  However, tankless isn’t the only way to go.

Hybrid heaters are available that straddle the fence between traditional and tankless heaters.  Like tankless systems, hybrids are a bit pricier than traditional water heaters.  These units won’t save space, bring a bit taller than traditional units they replace, since the heat pump is mounted on top. However, they are much more efficient since they contain a heat pump that draws in heat from the air to help heat the water. When Consumer Reports tested hybrid heaters they determined that the average family would save around $320 per year.  This is a plus, since hybrid water heaters cost about $1000 more than traditional units.

Whether you decide to opt for a more energy efficient unit than the one currently in your home or you decide to bite the bullet by doing flushing your system for another year or so, the bottom line is that with a little foresight you never need be menaced by the Gargoyle in the Garage ever again.

Bill Aldridge is one of the Doctor’s or Plumbology at Aldridge & Sons Plumbing.  For more helpful plumbing hints and step-by-step videos, visit http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com and http://waterheatersjacksonvillefl.com/

The Last Costume You Want to See on Halloween

By Bill Aldridge

You can’t help but smile as the neighborhood tykes parade around in this season’s costumes.  But there is one costume you can do without this holiday season and that’s the guy who comes to your door dressed as a plumber.  Be it Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas, the holidays bring with them a veritable cornucopia of holiday dishes that have been passed down from generation to generation.  The problem with many holiday cooks is that they also try to pass down the remnants of these dishes through the garbage disposal, which is where they guy in the plumber costume usually makes an appearance.  Below I have created a list of holiday no-no’s that are designed to keep you from making your local plumber

The Perils of Pumpkin

Believe it or not, more than a billion pounds of pumpkin are produced every year in the US, many to be made into jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin pies galore.  While these tasty treats are designed to brighten up the holidays, one thing that won’t is paying the plumber overtime to unstop your drain during the holidays.  The problem with pumpkin pulp is that it is a gooey mess that once down the drain will quickly harden into a mass that is a chore for even a seasoned professional to clear.  And don’t think that flushing it down the toilet is a better solution.  All that will do is make sure the clog gets lodged deep down the drain.  The only solution to the perils of pumpkin is to make like Lucy and Linus, by scooping out the pulp onto newspaper and then bagging it to take out with the trash.  (You didn’t say you were gonna kill it!”)

Don’t be a Turkey this Thanksgiving

The reason that most plumbers never get to sit down to a Thanksgiving dinner is due to the fact that they are invariably called out to unstop drains year in and year out.  In fact, Thanksgiving is the busiest of all holiday seasons for plumbing professionals.  Why?  Simply because it is a foregone conclusion that any number of holiday guests and/or chefs are going to

The Ghost of Christmas Dinner Past

Being home for the holidays also means preparing Christmas dinner for family and friends.  It can also mean that clearing the dishes can easily wind up overwhelming your garbage disposal resulting in a call to yours truly.  If you don’t want to add another mouth to feed during the holidays, here are some things you need to beware:

*   Fat is not your friend – While gravy helps make the turkey go down better in people, when it comes to plumbing the opposite is generally the case.  Anything containing fat, such as gravy boats, plates and serving platters need to be wiped clean with a paper towel before being washed in the sink.  Even then you want to use plenty of hot water before, during and after doing the holiday dishes.  That’s because any fat left in the pipes can quickly congeal into a blockage that requires a snake to clear.  One of the remedial steps is to fill your sink with hot water and a few drops of  liquid detergent, then pull the stopper to flush out the pipes after the dishes are done.

* Don’t give your disposal indigestion – While the modern garbage disposal is a wonderful invention, it was never designed to eat everything.  While most people know to avoid putting bones, gristle or other hard to grind substances into the disposal, they may not be aware that these devices also do not like to be fed a diet of celery, poultry skins, potato and onion peels, all of which can be hard to break down.  Disposals also need an occasional deep cleaning in order to eliminate odor.  (Below is a video that shows you how to eliminate “Stinky Disposal Syndrome” from your home.)

* Is stuffing going to stuff your pipes? – As a rule anything that is pulpy, such as stuffing, pumpkin flesh and squash can form a paste that can quickly gum up the works.  Just like pancake batter (another substance you should never pour down the drain), once past the disposal, these substances can quickly swell up and clog any drain.  Again, the solution is not to put these substances into the disposal.

* The extended family can also prove to be a strain on your plumbing.  While you can’t exactly read relatives the riot act, you can make sure that in their effort to help you clear the holiday dishes that they don’t inadvertently break any of the rules set above.  (That is if you can get them to help with the dishes.)

Bill Aldridge is one of the Doctor’s of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing, a residential and commercial plumbing contractor located in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more information and helpful how-to videos visit their site at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com