Your Disposal Is Not A Catch-All

Your garbage disposal is not a "catch-all". Be mindful of what you put down your kitchen sink and into your disposal after your cookout. Most disposals are not equipped to handle coarse items such as corn husks, celery, banana peels, and other fibrous or "stringy" foods. The fibrous foods are nearly impossible to break up and can tangle in your disposal. Some other items to stay away from are fats and cooking oils because they form clots in the pipes. It can be detrimental when it solidifies. To help prevent future clogs, run cold water at full pressure for 15 seconds before and after you put anything down the disposal. This will flush it through without causing any fats or oils that did make it down your drain to melt and then solidify on the walls of your pipes. Never put instant stuffing, potato mixes or similar "just-add-water" foods down the drain-they'll create an instant clog when you add water. Just adding water causes expansion.

Save money and energy when you go on vacation. Turn down the temperature of your water heater.

Sewer line backups are common this time of year due to summer rainwater entering sewer pipes via cracks. New tree root growth from the spring can also cause sewer backup issues as roots are drawn toward the sewer line as a source of water and nutrients. Have one of our qualified plumbers inspect your sewer line to let you know if you are susceptible to sewer line backup problems or if damage has already occurred. In either situation, your plumber will be able to help you determine the best treatment option for proper drain cleaning.