Preventing Clogged Kitchen Drains

How to Avoid a Holiday Disaster

The holidays are fast approaching when many of us will gather together to enjoy a wide variety of festive meals with friends and family.  This may also be the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day when more cooking is done at home than at any other time.

It can also be the time when we rinse or pour more “stuff” down our drains. If we aren’t careful several of these items can damage our drains and lead to high plumbing repair bills. Being aware of what we should and shouldn’t send down our drains, can ensure that our holiday cooking and clean up won’t contribute to future drain problems.

Here’s What is OK to Go Down Your Drain

  1. Soft foods: Your garbage disposal can handle easily chopped up foods
  2. Liquids: Non caustic liquids should flow easily
  3. Vegetables: Non-fibrous vegetable scraps
  4. Leftovers: Let the garbage disposal take care of food scraps from your plate.

FOG down drainHere are 12 Items that Should Not Go Down Your Kitchen Sink   

  1. Grease, Oils and Fats: To avoid having liquid grease harden in your drain, pour it into a container until it hardens and then toss it in the trash.
  2. Paper Towels: Absorbent paper towels will expand in your drain
  3. Pasta: Toss leftover pasta in the trash. Pasta will gum your drain.
  4. Flour: Flour mixes with the water in your sink to make a gooey paste.
  5. Coffee Grounds: Coffee grounds do not easily rinse down your drain leading to slow flowing water.
  6. Rice: Grains of rice expand and create clogs in your drain
  7. Fruit Pits: Pits from peaches or avocados, or any types of seeds including unpopped popcorn kernels.  These are too hard for your garbage disposal to chop up.
  8. Eggshells: In addition to dulling your garbage disposal blades, the shells can attach to the sides of the drain creating areas for other debris to collect.
  9. Potato Peels: The starch found in potatoes will coat your drain and lead to future clogs.
  10. Seafood shells: Crab, lobster or shrimp shells can easily get stuck in your drain.
  11. Turkey/Chicken Bones: Small turkey and chicken bones have the same impact as seafood shells. They can get caught in the drain and catch other scraps leading to bigger problems.
  12. Produce Stickers: Those little produce stickers don’t dissolve in water and can clog your pipes. Peel them off before you wash your fruit and dispose of them properly.

sink drainHow to Avoid Problems with Your Drains

Several of the items noted in this list are not thought by many as items that would cause drain problems.  Being aware of what items can and cannot be rinsed down your kitchen drain is the first step in avoiding future problems, followed by being vigilant about what cooking and food items you toss in your sink.

Use Lots of Water
One other note is to use lots of water when running your garbage disposal.  This ensures all food residue is rinsed down the drain.

How Do You Know You Have a Drain Problem?

Generally, it is easy to spot a problem with your drains.  The first indication is that water is draining slower than usual in your kitchen sink.  If you don’t address the problem, eventually it will stop draining altogether indicating that a clog has blocked a portion of the drainpipe.

At this point you can start by trying to dissolve the clog using a commercially available drain cleaner or run a “snake” down the pipe to clear the blockage.  If all this fails, then you’ll need to contact a professional plumber with the right tools and expertise to clear your drain line.

Let Us Know If We Can Help

Give Brenneco Plumbing a call at 765-448-6190 if we can be of any help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avoid Frozen Pipes This Winter

How to Avoid Frozen Water Pipes Inside and Outside Your Home This Winter

The recent evening temperatures that have fallen below freezing remind us that winter is near and now is the time to do a few simple plumbing tasks to avoid major issues later this winter.

Frozen pipes are the #1 contributor to water damage in any home.  Ensuring that your water pipes are well insulated can avoid thousands of dollars of water damage when temperatures drop below freezing.

Read more

Setting water heater temperature

Hot Water Heater $$$ Tips

Easy to Overlook Hot Water Heater Can Be Costing You More Than You Realize

Setting water heater temperature

Turn down the temperature setting on your water heater.

Did you know that 18% of your average energy bill comes from heating your water? Heating water requires more energy than any other household task except heating and cooling your whole home. Making sure your water heater is as efficient as it can be will save you money.

Inefficient water heaters do a poorer job of heating your water which increases your utility bills. Fortunately, there are a few simple steps that every homeowner can take to improve the energy efficiency and lower the cost of operating their water heater.

Read more

Labor Day

Why Do We Celebrate Labor Day?

For many Americans, Labor Day means two things: a day off from work and the end of summer. But why do we celebrate Labor Day?

A Tribute to the American Worker

Labor Day is a day set aside to pay tribute to working men and women. It has been celebrated as a national holiday in the United States and Canada since 1894.

Labor unions originally celebrated the first Labor Days in the United States as a day for workers to show their solidarity. Read more

iron water filter systems

Hard and Rusty Water

How to Deal with Rusty and/or Hard Water

Most U.S. family homes have hard water. You notice this most when washing dishes, doing laundry, or showering.  There’s excessive lime and chalk buildup in your sinks and showers. And even your skin and hair feel dry and itchy after you’ve washed.

water softener working diagram

Water softeners remove unwanted minerals and improve the quality of your water.

If you have red or brown deposits in your sinks or drains, then you most likely have a high concentration of iron in your water.  These are two common problems that can be addressed with different water conditioning solutions.

What is Hard Water?

Hard water is water that has collected a large amount of calcium, magnesium and other minerals in it. Hard water is not harmful to your health, but it is harmful to your home.  Living in a home with hard water can be a costly problem.  When dissolved minerals combine with heat, it leaves scale and buildup that damages pipes, appliances and fixtures.

Read more

New faucets and sink

Small Bathroom and Kitchen Remodels

Sometimes doing something small can pay big benefits.

remodeled shower

Updated showers enhance accessibility.

Making upgrades to your kitchen and bathrooms without doing complete remodels can increase accessibility and add to the value of your home.  Updating your shower, putting in a bigger bathtub or a raised toilet, new sinks and faucet sets, or even relocating your appliances can have a big impact.

Doing a partial remodel can provide a number of key benefits.

Improved Safety

As we get a little older, bathrooms can become harder to get around in. Adding grab bars, handheld showerheads, walk-in tubs and chair-height toilets can make getting around much easier.  Long-term these upgrades may allow you to stay in your home longer. Read more

Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration

Don’t Want to Drink Smelly or Rusty Water

women smelling bad water

Although O.K. to drink, water with nasty smells and discoloration can be hard to swallow.

No one likes to drink smelly or rusty water.  Both of which are common problems in our area.  In many homes water smells like rotten eggs or has a metallic taste and also appearance.

Dealing With Smelly or Rusty Water

In most cases water that smells or looks rusty is not harmful to your health. That still doesn’t make it taste or smell any better … or very appealing to drink. For some the solution is to buy bottled water which can be costly and has a negative environmental impact.

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Spring Sump Pump Maintenance

You Really Want Your Sump Pump to Work Properly

Routine maintenance on your sump pump will ensure it is ready when needed.

For those who depend on their sump pump to keep their basement dry, it is important to take some simple measures to ensure your sump pump is in proper working order before the spring rains come. 

Helpful Tips to Maintain Your Sump Pump This Spring

  1. Look for debris in your sump pump’s pit. Make sure there’s no dirt, sludge or other debris in your sump pump’s pit. These foreign objects can cause clogs in your pump’s intake or discharge pipes.
  2. Inspect the intake valve and impeller. Your sump pump consists of many moving parts that can wear down or need replacement.
  3. Read more
Brenneco plumping van

Brenneco Plumbing Services

Brenneco Plumbing is Ready to Handle Your Plumbing Problems

Brenneco Plumbing logoKnowing a good plumber can come in handy when you find water collecting on your floor, a drain plugged up, or you are tired of drinking rusty or smelly water.

Brenneco Plumbing has been taking care of our community’s plumbing needs for over 40 years.  It has the experienced and trained plumbers that can help you with any of your plumbing needs. Read more

Brenneco plumping van

Menu Pricing Options

New Service and Pricing Options from Brenneco Plumbing

Brenneco plumping vanEveryone likes choices.  Looking at different options allows you, the customer, to have more say in the end result.  When it comes to having your plumbing worked on, being able to choose the extent of the work done and what you pay, gives you more input into the level of service you receive.

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