Plumbing problems can come up at any time, but they seem to happen when it is the most inconvenient. Although you probably didn’t host a very large gathering in your Winston-Salem home for Thanksgiving this year, you may have still had a few dinner guests or hosted family for a few days. Here are some of the common plumbing problems that you might notice in the days after Thanksgiving.
A Clogged Kitchen Sink
This is probably the most common and obvious plumbing problem associated with the Thanksgiving holiday. If you cooked a large dinner for multiple guests, you most likely had more waste than usual. At least some of this was probably washed down your drain or sent down your garbage disposal. While you might be aware of what is safe to dispose of in your sink, your guests might not have been. Family members who have a garbage disposal at home, for example, might have put something down your kitchen drain that lacks a garbage disposal. This can cause blocks and problems in the days ahead.
Common foods associated with Thanksgiving platters can cause a mess with your kitchen sink and garbage disposal. Starchy foods like potatoes and rice absorb water and plug up drains, stringy foods like asparagus can create a net in your pipes that catch debris, and cooking grease can congeal in your pipes and create a stubborn clog. Even eggshells can be a problem, even though there is a persistent myth that they are good for your drains and garbage disposal. They are solid objects that don’t break down well when they are sent down the drain, and they are just as likely to contribute to clogs as anything else. Most of these materials should go in your trash or a compost pile instead of your kitchen sink, while grease can be stored in metal cans or glass jars until you can have it recycled. If you’re dealing with a clogged sink or having issues with your garbage disposal, it’s possible one of your guests may have accidentally put something down the drain that they shouldn’t have.
A Clogged Toilet
Whether you hosted guests for just an evening, or had some overnight guests for a few days, your toilet was most likely used a lot more than normal in the last few days. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, you are more likely to deal with a clog or a backup from the increase of toilet paper being flushed away. If you start to notice an issue, don’t wait to call an experienced plumber.
A Leaky Water Heater
If you hosted guests this Thanksgiving, you probably used a lot more water than normal, between handwashing, showers, and tons of dishes. This usage could strain your water heater. You may have noticed a reduction in the amount of hot water coming out of your pipes. What you might not have noticed is that an older water heater is more likely to crack or spring a leak. A leaky water heater isn’t really the fault of your guests, though; it is more likely to happen because of the cold weather causing your heater to expand and contract. It’s still a potential problem that could ruin your Thanksgiving weekend, though. If you have an older water heater that hasn’t received any maintenance visits lately, call a plumbing contractor to make sure everything is in good shape before it starts to get really cold outside.
A Clogged Shower Drain
If your guests stayed for a few days over Thanksgiving, they probably showered at some point. That’s all well and good, but a lot of the same issues that come with overused garbage disposals and toilets can apply to your shower or bathtub drain. Simply put, your plumbing might not be used to having one or two extra showers a day, especially if your guests weren’t very careful about what went down the drain.
Call Bodenheimer Plumbing Services
If you’re noticing plumbing issues since the Thanksgiving holiday and aren’t able to resolve them on your own, contact Bodenheimer Plumbing. We have the tools to handle even the peskiest plumbing problems.
