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From the Field
Holiday Kitchen Plumbing: Keep the Drains Moving
A full house, a big meal and a lot of dishes. Your drains and your septic tank get the hardest workout of the year.
Short answer: Keep grease, starchy foods and fibrous scraps out of the sink and disposal, spread out laundry and showers, and know what to do before a clog turns into a backup on the holiday.
- Grease never goes down the drain. Pour it in a can and throw it away.
- Potato peels, rice, pasta, celery and turkey skin do not belong in a disposal.
- On septic, spread out the water: dishes, laundry and showers do not all need to run at once.
- If a drain slows, stop pouring water and try a plunger before the meal, not after.
- A backup on the holiday is still an emergency. Ryan is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Why holidays are hard on kitchen drains
On a normal night, a kitchen sink handles a few plates. On a holiday it handles a turkey pan, a pile of pots, and plates for a dozen people. All of it goes down the same pipe, usually all at once. That is how a drain that has been slightly slow for months finally stops on the one day nobody wants it to.
The good news is that most holiday clogs come from a short list of habits, and each one is easy to change.
The grease rule
Grease is the number one cause of kitchen drain trouble. Hot grease looks like a liquid, but it cools inside the pipe and coats the walls. Each meal adds another layer, and soon the pipe is a fraction of its size. Hot water and dish soap do not fix this. They only move it farther down the line, where it hardens.
Pour turkey drippings and cooking oil into a heat-safe can or jar, let it cool and solidify, and put it in the trash. Wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before you wash them. If your family likes to fry a turkey, plan for a lot of oil and a safe way to dispose of it.
What does not belong in the disposal
A garbage disposal grinds food, but it is not a trash can. Some foods turn into a paste or a stringy mass that clogs the line. Keep these out of it:
- Potato peels and mashed potato, which turn into a thick paste.
- Rice, pasta and stuffing, which swell with water.
- Celery, corn husks and onion skins, which are stringy.
- Turkey skin, fat and bones.
- Coffee grounds and eggshells, which collect in the trap.
Scrape plates into the trash or the compost first. Run cold water while the disposal is on, and for a short while after. If yours hums, jams or smells, our guide on whether to repair or replace a garbage disposal will help you decide.
Drain getting slow before the big meal?
Text Ryan a quick description or a photo. He can tell you if it is a plunger fix or a call.
The septic tank and a full house
Many homes around Ellijay and the surrounding mountains are on septic. A septic tank is built for a certain number of people, and a holiday with extra guests puts more water and more waste into it than usual. Too much water at once can push solids out of the tank, and that can harm the drain field.
- Spread out laundry across the days before and after the meal.
- Avoid back-to-back showers and a running dishwasher at the same time.
- Fix any running toilet before guests arrive. See our page on a running toilet.
- Only toilet paper goes in the toilet. Remind guests that wipes and paper towels do not break down.
- Skip chemical drain cleaners, which can upset the balance in the tank.
Septic pumping is done by a septic company, while Ryan handles septic system repair when something has failed.
If a drain slows down before dinner
A slow sink is a warning. Stop running water into it, so you do not fill it up. Try a plunger first. Cover the overflow hole in a double sink with a wet rag, and work the plunger straight up and down with a good seal. Do not pour chemical drain cleaner, because it sits in the pipe, burns skin, and makes the next repair harder to do safely. Ryan clears drains mechanically, and our page on a slow draining sink shows what a slow drain can mean.
If more than one drain is slow, or a toilet gurgles when you run the sink, the problem may be farther down the line. Read our article on signs of a clogged main sewer line.
If it backs up on the holiday
A backup on a holiday is a plumbing emergency like any other. Stop running water, keep guests out of the area, and call or text. The business is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and Ryan answers his own phone. Send a photo and say whether you are on septic. The first 10 minutes guide lists what to do while you wait.
One customer described a septic problem on a Sunday:
“The determination that Ryan displayed to get my septic system operational on a Sunday is just about unprecedented these days. Not afraid of hard work at a good price. Job two: Ryan installed a new bladder tank for my well. He showed up promptly and finished quickly at a better than fair price.”
Marty R., Google review, November 2024
A quick holiday-week checklist
- Run the garbage disposal with cold water and listen for odd sounds.
- Fix or report any slow drain a few days before guests arrive.
- Set out a can for grease near the stove.
- Check the guest bathroom toilet and sink.
- Save Ryan's number in your phone before the family gets there.
Questions People Ask
Can I put turkey grease down the drain if I run hot water?
No. Hot water moves grease along, but it cools and hardens farther down the pipe. Pour it into a can, let it cool, and throw it out.
Is it okay to put potato peels in a garbage disposal?
It is best not to. Potato peels turn into a thick paste that can clog the drain. Put them in the trash or compost.
Will extra guests hurt my septic system?
A short holiday is usually fine if you spread out water use. Avoid running laundry, showers and the dishwasher all at once, and fix any running toilets first.
Should I use chemical drain cleaner before a party?
It is better to try a plunger. Chemicals can burn skin and sit in the pipe, and Ryan clears drains mechanically without them.
What do I do if a toilet backs up with guests in the house?
Stop flushing and running water, and call or text Ryan. Tell him if you are on septic, and send a photo if you can.
Does Ryan work on holidays?
The business is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text, and a text can get through when cell service is weak.
Related Reading
Hosting This Year? Keep the Water Moving
Call or text Ryan if a drain slows down or backs up while the family is over.