Perez Testimonial

Why the holidays are stoppage season

Plumbers genuinely call the day after Thanksgiving one of the busiest of the year, and the reasons are predictable: a kitchen producing its biggest meal, a disposal fed things it cannot handle, and a house full of guests doubling the load on every drain and toilet at once. A line that was 80 percent restricted all year picks this week to finish the job.

Holiday rules that keep the drains open

• Grease, oil, and pan drippings go in the trash, never the drain - hot liquid grease solidifies in the pipe
• The disposal cannot handle potato peels, celery, onion skins, rice, or bones; scrape plates into the trash
• Run cold water before, during, and after every disposal use
• Space out showers and laundry when the house is full - give the main line room to breathe
• Put a small trash can in the guest bath so wipes and cotton products stay out of the toilet

Catch it before the crowd arrives

Stoppages telegraph: a gurgle when the washer drains, a toilet that needs two flushes, a floor drain that burps. If your house is doing any of that in mid-November, a drain cleaning before the holiday is the cheapest insurance you will buy all season - and it is a scheduled visit instead of an emergency one.