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