How to Avoid Thanksgiving Day Plumbing Problems
When you think of the Friday after Thanksgiving, most people think of fun Black Friday bargains. However, each year, the Friday after Thanksgiving turns black and bleak for many due to not-so-fun plumbing emergencies. Nationwide, plumbers get as many as 50 percent more calls over the long weekend following Thanksgiving, compared with any other four-day period throughout the year.
Most of the additional calls are for clogged drains attached to garbage disposals or toilets. The good news is, many of these problems are preventable. Here are a few tips to help avoid turkey day plumbing problems:
- Don’t pour fats or cooking oils down drains. Be sure to use paper towels to wipe excess grease and oils from pots and pans before washing them, then throw away the paper towels.
- Run several ice cubes through your garbage disposal. Do this before the big feast to sharpen the blades.
- Don’t stuff your disposal. Use a steady flow of smaller amounts while running the water to help drain it away.
- Avoid putting poultry skin, rice, pasta, celery, potato peels, fruit, or eggshells in your garbage disposal. Most disposers cannot sufficiently grind these things.
- Use cold water when grinding food waste. Hot water will cause grease to move further into the pipe, where it can solidify after cooling.
- Be sure you run cold water for 15 seconds after the disposal work is finished to carry the waste out of the pipes.
- Wait 10 minutes between showers so drains have time to work.
- If small items drop in toilets, don’t flush them down. Retrieve them! Even small items can catch in pipes, then lead to bigger clogs with future flushes.
In many cases, plumbing problems were brewing long before the holidays. So if you have a slow drain, a toilet that won’t flush completely, or other signs of plumbing issues right now, call us so we can help prevent worse plumbing problems that could put a damper on your holiday.
Remember, if you have an Orange County plumbing emergency, you can contact Barker & Sons, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Have a Happy Thanksgiving! And may your turkey be full and stuffed – not your pipes!
What it Means to be a Licensed Green Plumber in Orange County
Everyone seems to be “going green” nowadays. At Barker & Sons here in Orange County, however, being a Green Plumber is more than a slogan. As licensed members of GreenPlumbers USA, a network of accredited plumbers extensively trained in water and energy efficiency technology, we can significantly lower your energy and water bills. We also adhere to a strict environmental code of ethics.
What Can Green Plumbers Do?
First, we perform a comprehensive home water audit. Our 50 point evaluation will show you how you can reduce water and energy consumption.
With 28 years of experience, we’re skilled at installing the newest, water efficient appliances, fixtures, and equipment. We can also recommend small personal steps you and your family can take to reduce daily water and energy use.
What’s the Latest Green Technology?
- High Efficiency Toilets - Using a maximum average of only 1.28 gallons per flush, their advanced hydraulic design saves the average family of four 16,000 gallons of water per year.
- High Efficiency Shower Heads - These cutting-edge devices provide an invigorating level of pressure, but use less water. So you’ll get a satisfying shower, while you save on energy and water bills.
- Tankless water heaters - These energy efficient water systems heat water only when you need it. Space saving and long lasting, tankless water heaters can reduce energy consumption by 20-40%.
- Faucet Aerators - These faucet attachments optimize flow while reducing water use from 2.2 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per minute. Allowing you to maintain water pressure while reducing your water bill by an average 32%.
- Solar Hot Water Systems - these environmentally friendly hot water systems use solar panels on the roof to heat your hot water. Typically, they pay for themselves in 4 to 8 years. Also offsetting their cost is a 30% federal tax credit, along with state incentives. 94% of customers surveyed said they considered these systems a good investment.
Reducing water usage is a win-win situation. You can enjoy the savings by lowering your energy and water bills, and you also help the environment. So you save green by being green! To find out more about our green technology and what you can do to reduce water and energy consumption, Barker and Sons Plumbing Orange County a call.
Prevent Plumbing Problems with Barker and Sons’ Home Protection Club
It may seem counter-intuitive for a plumbing company to tell you how to prevent plumbing issues. Of course, we’re no ordinary Orange County plumbing company. We provide our customers with a unique prevention feature – our Barker & Sons Home Protection Club. It’s like an insurance plan for your home’s plumbing. For just $11.95 a month, you get our preventative maintenance package, with a complete home plumbing inspection every year; including a free 15-point water heater tune-up and whole house leak check. It’s actually a $300 value! Later, if you need our services, you’ll get a 10% discount on repairs, replacement fixtures and equipment. Members enjoy special features like guaranteed same-day service and more. For details, check out our Home Protection Club page or give us a call!
In the meantime, here are a few everyday tips that can help keep your plumbing running smoothly.
- Don’t treat your toilets like a trash can. Keep a waste paper basket in the bathroom for things like facial tissues, gum, all sanitary products, bandages, paper towels and diapers. Don’t put them in your toilet.
- Reconsider “disposable” or “flushable” wipes. Even if the package claims the wipes are flushable, they can still get balled up with hair and grease in sewage systems. If you do use them, remember – they’re thicker than toilet paper, so they’re more apt to clog your toilet.
- Prevent grease build up. Grease is usually the main clogging culprit of kitchen sinks, so avoid pouring grease or fat down your drain. To dispose of grease from cooking or frying, pour the grease into a mug, let it cool and harden somewhat, then dump it in the trash can. Also, periodically pour hot, sudsy water down your drain to clean your pipes of buildup.
Sneaky Slab Leaks…and the Solution
Most of the time, there is no question when you have a plumbing disaster on your hands. For example, if a pipe bursts in your Orange County home and your garage is filled with water, it’s pretty obvious that something terrible has happened. However, some plumbing problems are not as obvious, though they can be just as damaging. The concrete slab leak is one of those problems.
How do you know when a pipe is leaking in your slab?
One hint is that your water bill is suddenly high. Another is that your water pressure is low. In addition, floors or carpets may be damp or have mildew. Floors may be cracked or warm in one area. Even cracks in walls could signal a slab leak. If you hear the sound of running water when no water should be running, your response should be, “Uh oh!”
How do these slab leaks happen?
Slab leaks can be caused by several things.
- Acidic or hot soil can attack copper, causing pitting. This ultimately leads to leaks.
- Water treatment from the water department can also contribute to slab leaks. Currently, California is adding a mixture of chlorine and ammonia, called chloramine, which reacts to copper and may cause leaks.
- Sometimes, slab leaks occur as the result of your house shifting on its foundation.
The solution? Call us, of course. Barker and Sons have the proper equipment to identify where the leak or leaks are occurring. In many cases, repairs are made with minimal disruption to property. For example, sometimes just a single floor tile needs to be removed.
What if you’ve got a doozy?
If leaks are extensive or hard to reach under a bathtub, shower, or expensive flooring, we recommend capping off the existing underground pipes and rerouting the water pipes through the walls or attic using durable and flexible PEX piping. At Barker and Sons, we have over 28 years of experience repairing slab leaks. If you are having an issue, please call us. We are always happy to help!
Request Appointment
• Immediate Response
• Guaranteed Service• Family Owned & Operated
• Residential & Commercial
Online Savings
Simply print and present
to your service technicians.
See Coupons.714-466-9565
Location / Service Areas
Serving Orange County and surrounding areas for over 28 years! 
What Our Customers Have to Say
"Thank you for the work you did on our home. Your guys were neat, clean, and very nice to work with...
Read More.Connect with Us
