This time of year can certainly be a festive time for many homeowners, but they can also be a tough time for your sewer lines. The incorrect disposal of cooking grease, overuse of garbage disposals and added disposal of paper waste from guests are frequent culprits of pipe-clogging sewer problems. If you don’t catch a blockage in time, your household plumbing items will become inoperable and, even worse, raw sewage can back up through toilets, tubs and sinks into your home. Here are three tip to help avoid trouble in your home this holiday season:
1. Do not pour oil down a drain. Baking, frying and roasting can result in beautiful holiday dinners, but also leaves behind lots of excess cooking oils, grease and fats. Instead of pouring them down a drain, put them into a garbage bag or into a sealed container before disposing in the trash. Be careful, even small amounts of grease in a drain can cause a problem. You could also ask your municipalities if they have any collection services for large amounts of used cooking oils.
2. Table scraps aren’t meant for the disposal. Many plumbing professionals advise disposing of table scraps directly into the garbage can. Stringy celery stalks, onions and potato peels seem to be a particular challenge for disposal systems. Also, use drain baskets and strainers in the sink to catch smaller food items that are rinsed from plates and utensils. You may want to consider collecting vegetable and fruit scraps for use in a backyard composting pile.
3. Don’t flush anything but toilet paper. Lastly, make sure to remind any visitors or overnight guests that they should never certain items down your toilet: paper towels, sanitary products or wet wipes (even those labeled as “flushable”). Have an empty wastebasket in every bathroom for easy disposal.
However, even with these preventative measures, sewer lines can become clogged over time from tree roots, debris and grease buildup; not to mention they can crack, collapse or shift due to moving soil or other natural elements.
So don’t wait until you’re entertaining this holiday season and have to deal with the grimy problem of a clogged sewer line, there’s a simple solution. Call Perma-Seal before December 31st to take advantage of our $199 Sewer Camera & Rod Holiday Special. One of our trained technicians will visit your home, perform a sewer camera inspection to determine the condition of your line, and clear it of any existing debris. They will even provide you with a DVD copy of the inspection. Or, if there are signs of a serious problem, we can repair or replace the line before you have a major dilemma. A bit of kitchen prep savvy and a little preventive maintenance can save you thousands of dollars in repairs—and a world of headaches.