Plumbers give Thanksgiving plumbing tips

QUINCY (WGEM) - As Thanksgiving approaches, the last thing you want is problems with your plumbing as between all the cooking and cleaning, problems with your pipes can throw everything off.

David Keck, owner of Keck Plumbing, said the most common problem they see around this time of year is people putting too much food in their garbage disposal.

Keck said make sure you are running plenty of water with the disposal so food can go down the drain. He said it’s important to know what type of garbage disposal you have so you can know it’s limits, as some are more powerful than others.

He said items you shouldn’t put down the disposal include grease, bones or celery as the stringy parts can get wrapped around the mechanism. Hopper Plumbing LLC owner Nicholas Hopper said people should also avoid putting items like bread and pasta in a disposal as they expand in water and could end up clogging the pipes.

Keck said it’s important to pay attention to your sink as the holidays near.

“If it’s running slow with the additional usage, the heavy usage over the holidays, it’s not going to remedy itself so that’s one thing to think if you see a drain running slow or it’s making some noise, different than it normally does,” Keck said.

Quincy residents are also making last-minute plumbing moves for the holiday. Mike Pigg said they are planning on having family over so he’s glad they were able to get a new sink installed Monday as both he and his wife are expecting it to see some use.

“My biggest concern and hers too was to get this sink put in before Thanksgiving,” Pigg said.

Keck said if your kitchen sink isn’t draining properly or is making funny sounds, fill the sink with hot water, drain it then turn on the disposal. He said don’t pour chemicals down the sink as it could damage the disposal. He said if it’s still not draining or gurgling, call a plumber.

Keck said if you have a problem that you can’t solve, it’s best to call now as many plumbers are busy, and the wait time could be up to two or three days.

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