Ken's Plumbing | Blog

Ah, evening on Thanksgiving Day.

Dinner’s over, the whole family is full and happy, and it’s time to load up that dishwasher and clean the kitchen before the big game (and serving up dessert, of course!).

You pack up the leftovers and now you’re ready to take care of that oily turkey roasting pan.

Here’s where things can go very, very wrong.

If you’re distracted by your nephews and nieces or in a hurry to get to the pumpkin pie, you might just put the pan in the sink and wash all those turkey drippings right down your kitchen drain—not even realizing the huge problem you’re about to create.

Did we ever mention that the day after Thanksgiving is one of the days we plumbers get the most home calls?

The cause of Thanksgiving plumbing disasters

The oily residue at the bottom of the roasting pan is fat that’s naturally a solid at room temperature. When you pour all that hot liquid fat down your sink drain, it can travel quite a distance before it cools down and turns into a solid once again.

And this is where you can get a very nasty clog that can:

• cause your drains and/or toilets to back up
• clog up your septic tank
• or even damage your sewer line.

We know the holidays are a time for getting back together—but we have a feeling you’d prefer not to reunite with your plumber on Thanksgiving Day!

Other things that should never go down your drain

While we’re on the topic, here are some other items that should never go down your drain and/or garbage disposal:

• Butter
• Bacon grease
• Beans
• Cloth or rags
• Cooking oils
• Coconut oil
• Egg shells
• Dairy products
• Dental floss
• Drippings from chicken, pork, beef, etc.
• Gravy
• Mayonnaise
• Onion skin, potato peels, celery, and other “stringy” items
• Pasta
• Peanut butter
• Poultry skins
• Produce stickers
• Rice
• Salad dressing

We hope this heads' up will help you enjoy Thanksgiving relaxing with your family—not dealing with a home maintenance disaster. But if something does go wrong, the experts at Ken’s Plumbing are still available for you 24/7—even on Thanksgiving!