Post by okz on Nov 25, 2009 13:23:34 GMT -5
Thanksgiving is a bountiful time for plumbers
07:30 AM CST on Wednesday, November 25, 2009
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
eaasen@dallasnews.com
On this Thanksgiving, as we stuff ourselves, we stuff our garbage disposals, too.
We fill it with celery, turkey, stuffing, rice and pasta. We drop silverware in there. Even jewelry.
That means Thanksgiving time is prime time for plumbers to unclog drains and backed-up sinks. Roto-Rooter says business nationwide jumps about 50 percent on Thanksgiving Friday over other Fridays, making it the busiest day of the year.
This time of year, "the plumber is the hero," said Mark Wissler, service manager at Dallas Plumbing Co.
Plumbers locally and across the country expect another busy holiday season. Several area plumbers will be available Thanksgiving, just like any other day of the year.
The activity in the kitchen, plus a house full of guests using the toilet, tub and shower, "can really rock your plumbing world," said Paul Abrams, a Roto-Rooter spokesman.
Here's a tip: A garbage disposal is not like a turkey - it's not meant to be stuffed.
"They just think it's the hole that makes things go away," Wissler said. "They don't want that nasty stuff smelling up their garbage can. They're going to put everything down there that they can. ... Disposals are the greatest thing as long as they're used properly."
Celery gets stringy and can form a ball and plug a drain. Pasta or rice get engorged with water and form a gel. Potato peels congeal. Add some grease from turkey drippings and you've got the "glue that holds everything together," Abrams said.
One year, Wissler visited a home where Thanksgiving brisket had been stuffed down the disposal.
"I basically had to clear that drain line and pull out a pound of shredded meat," he said. "I talked to the wife. She blamed her husband."
One time, Wissler stopped by a house filled with 20 people, all trying to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Except that the kitchen sink was clogged.
"Within a half hour, I was done and they were the most grateful people," he said. "That's when you get some good tips."
When Mark Carrasco, a local Roto-Rooter plumber, visits homes at Thanksgiving, homeowners are usually apologetic.
"They realize it was their fault off the bat," Carrasco said. "They know it's not a maintenance issue. They can usually tell you exactly what's in there."
Fixing a plumbing problem on an important holiday is rewarding, he said
"They're getting aunts and uncles and everybody thanking you," he said. "You can help them get back to their celebration."
While it's one thing to clog your drain with turkey and stuffing, or even brisket, it's quite another to see valuable jewelry go down the drain.
Some women, while cooking and washing, take off their wedding rings and bracelets - and then accidentally drop them into the disposal.
Retrieving those sentimental items results in jubilation.
"There are smiles and laughter and a long laugh and relief that you were able to find it," Carrasco said. "Wives hug me."
STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE
Several area plumbers will be available Thanksgiving Day, just like any other day of the year. But here's what to do to avoid calling a plumber during the holidays:
•Don't pour fats or cooking oils down drains. They solidify in pipes. Instead, wipe grease from pots with paper towels and throw them in the trash.
•Don't place stringy, fibrous or starchy waste in the garbage disposal, including poultry skins, celery, fruit and potato peels. Disposals can't sufficiently grind these items.
•Make sure the disposal is running when you put food into it. Don't wait until it's full to turn it on. Run warm water.
07:30 AM CST on Wednesday, November 25, 2009
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
eaasen@dallasnews.com
On this Thanksgiving, as we stuff ourselves, we stuff our garbage disposals, too.
We fill it with celery, turkey, stuffing, rice and pasta. We drop silverware in there. Even jewelry.
That means Thanksgiving time is prime time for plumbers to unclog drains and backed-up sinks. Roto-Rooter says business nationwide jumps about 50 percent on Thanksgiving Friday over other Fridays, making it the busiest day of the year.
This time of year, "the plumber is the hero," said Mark Wissler, service manager at Dallas Plumbing Co.
Plumbers locally and across the country expect another busy holiday season. Several area plumbers will be available Thanksgiving, just like any other day of the year.
The activity in the kitchen, plus a house full of guests using the toilet, tub and shower, "can really rock your plumbing world," said Paul Abrams, a Roto-Rooter spokesman.
Here's a tip: A garbage disposal is not like a turkey - it's not meant to be stuffed.
"They just think it's the hole that makes things go away," Wissler said. "They don't want that nasty stuff smelling up their garbage can. They're going to put everything down there that they can. ... Disposals are the greatest thing as long as they're used properly."
Celery gets stringy and can form a ball and plug a drain. Pasta or rice get engorged with water and form a gel. Potato peels congeal. Add some grease from turkey drippings and you've got the "glue that holds everything together," Abrams said.
One year, Wissler visited a home where Thanksgiving brisket had been stuffed down the disposal.
"I basically had to clear that drain line and pull out a pound of shredded meat," he said. "I talked to the wife. She blamed her husband."
One time, Wissler stopped by a house filled with 20 people, all trying to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Except that the kitchen sink was clogged.
"Within a half hour, I was done and they were the most grateful people," he said. "That's when you get some good tips."
When Mark Carrasco, a local Roto-Rooter plumber, visits homes at Thanksgiving, homeowners are usually apologetic.
"They realize it was their fault off the bat," Carrasco said. "They know it's not a maintenance issue. They can usually tell you exactly what's in there."
Fixing a plumbing problem on an important holiday is rewarding, he said
"They're getting aunts and uncles and everybody thanking you," he said. "You can help them get back to their celebration."
While it's one thing to clog your drain with turkey and stuffing, or even brisket, it's quite another to see valuable jewelry go down the drain.
Some women, while cooking and washing, take off their wedding rings and bracelets - and then accidentally drop them into the disposal.
Retrieving those sentimental items results in jubilation.
"There are smiles and laughter and a long laugh and relief that you were able to find it," Carrasco said. "Wives hug me."
STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE
Several area plumbers will be available Thanksgiving Day, just like any other day of the year. But here's what to do to avoid calling a plumber during the holidays:
•Don't pour fats or cooking oils down drains. They solidify in pipes. Instead, wipe grease from pots with paper towels and throw them in the trash.
•Don't place stringy, fibrous or starchy waste in the garbage disposal, including poultry skins, celery, fruit and potato peels. Disposals can't sufficiently grind these items.
•Make sure the disposal is running when you put food into it. Don't wait until it's full to turn it on. Run warm water.
