So it’s almost Thanksgiving, and while plumbing may be the last thing you want to think about on the holiday, if you neglect it, you can wind up with a problem much bigger than deciding who’s going to carve the turkey this year. Our Raleigh plumbers are often called in for emergency holiday service — here are a few ways to avoid having to invite us over for Thanksgiving:

• Cooking the turkey and other tasty dishes creates some not-so-tasty bi-products like cooking oils and fats. Though it’s tempting, don’t pour these down the drain, where they may solidify and cause major headaches. Instead, wipe excess oils off with paper towels which can be thrown out after clean-up.
• Remember to always run the faucet (on cold) when you run the garbage disposal. Start running the faucet a few seconds before turning the disposal on, and continue running it for a few seconds after the disposal’s turned off.
• Never overload your garbage disposal, especially with fibrous food items like fruit and vegetable peels and turkey skin.
• Only run your dishwasher when it’s full (for water conservation), but don’t overload it. Overloading can cause china to break, which can clog the drain.
• Consider running the washing machine and dishwasher at off-times (like the night) to save hot water and water pressure for stay-over guests.
• Provide trash cans around the house in convenient locations so guests remember to dispose of food waste, tissues, etc. in the wastebaskets instead of in drains or toilets.
• Got some toddlers joining you for Turkey Day? Make sure they’re entertained and under supervision to avoid the (pretty common) problem of toy cars stuck in the toilet.

And, just in case you do encounter the unexpected plumbing crisis, , keep our contact info on hand. Happy Thanksgiving!