Quick answer: Never pour grease, fat or oil down the drain. Keep potato peels, turkey skin, bones, celery and coffee grounds out of the garbage disposal. Run cold water while the disposal is on, and space out dishwasher loads and showers. If a drain backs up, don’t pour chemical drain cleaner into a disposal. Call a plumber.
The day after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year for plumbers. A full house, a busy kitchen and a lot of food scraps put extra strain on kitchen drains, garbage disposals and toilets. A few simple habits can keep your holiday from ending with a backed-up sink.
What not to put down the garbage disposal
A garbage disposal is built for small scraps, not a holiday meal’s worth of leftovers. Keep these out of it:
- Grease, fat and oil from the turkey or pan drippings. It’s liquid when hot, but it hardens in your pipes and catches everything else.
- Potato peels. The starch turns into a thick paste that clogs the drain.
- Turkey skin and bones. They’re too tough for the blades.
- Celery, onion skins and other stringy vegetables. The fibers wrap around the blades.
- Rice, pasta and stuffing. They swell with water and pack the drain.
- Coffee grounds and eggshells. They settle into a heavy sludge in the pipes.
Where should grease go? Let it cool, pour it into a can or jar, and throw it in the trash. Wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before washing them.
Tips for using the disposal correctly
- Scrape plates into the trash first, and only rinse small bits into the sink.
- Run cold water before, during and for about 15 seconds after using the disposal. Cold water keeps any fat solid so it gets chopped up and flushed through instead of coating the pipes.
- Feed scraps in slowly instead of all at once.
- If the disposal hums but doesn’t spin, turn it off and unplug it or switch off its breaker. Never put your hand inside.
Keep the rest of the house running
Space out the dishwasher and laundry. Running the dishwasher, washing machine and showers at the same time can overwhelm older drain lines and the water heater.
Help the toilets. Put a plunger in each guest bathroom and a trash can for wipes and paper towels. “Flushable” wipes don’t break down like toilet paper and are a common cause of clogs.
Give the water heater time. If you have a houseful of overnight guests, space showers about 10 to 15 minutes apart so the water heater can recover.
What to do if a drain clogs
- Kitchen sink: Turn off the disposal and try a sink plunger. If the sink has two bowls, cover the other drain while you plunge.
- Skip chemical drain cleaners, especially in a garbage disposal. They can damage pipes and seals and make a repair more dangerous for whoever opens the drain.
- Call a plumber if more than one drain backs up at once, if water comes up in another fixture, or if you smell sewage. That usually points to a main line problem, not a single clogged sink.
Kentucky Plumbing provides drain cleaning and 24/7 emergency service across Lexington, Nicholasville and Central Kentucky, including holidays. Call (859) 823-5973.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put turkey grease down the drain if I run hot water with it?
No. Hot water only moves grease farther down the pipe, where it cools and hardens. Let it cool, then throw it in the trash.
Are potato peels bad for a garbage disposal?
Yes. The starch forms a thick paste that can jam the disposal and clog the drain. Put peels in the trash or compost instead.
Why did my kitchen sink clog after a big meal?
Usually it’s a buildup of grease, starchy food and fibrous scraps. If plunging doesn’t clear it, the clog may be farther down the line and need professional drain cleaning.
Should I use chemical drain cleaner in a garbage disposal?
No. Chemical cleaners can damage the disposal and pipes, and they don’t work well on grease and food clogs.
Do plumbers work on Thanksgiving?
Kentucky Plumbing offers 24/7 emergency service, including holidays.
Plumbing problem during the holidays? Contact Kentucky Plumbing or call (859) 823-5973.