With Halloween coming up this weekend, I figured this week would be the perfect time to discuss how this fun holiday of Halloween can be troublesome for your plumbing system! Yes, given the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s Halloween might look a little bit different, but hopefully that is just a one-time thing and 2021 feels a little bit more normal. Having said all of that, I’ll preface this blog post by saying that it isn’t uncommon for our phones to be unusually busy right around Halloween time! Believe it or not, but the fun festivities we associate with celebrating Halloween can also be a scary sight for your plumbing pipes.
For those new to our blog, welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing! We are a full-service plumbing company based out of North Kansas City, MO! Since opening our shop back in 2014, our goal has always been to provide honest and reliable services without breaking the bank. Sometimes that entails routine plumbing repairs, while other times it involves large installation projects or even construction design-build. Let’s now discuss how Halloween can be particularly harmful to your household plumbing system!
Pumpkin Pulp
Whether you’ve already carved pumpkins this year or are planning to do so this week, pumpkin pulp is notorious for causing clogged drains and wreaking havoc on one’s pipes. Here’s why all of those slimy guts that you pull out of the pumpkin should never be tossed in the garbage disposal or sink drain: It doesn’t take long for the pulp to dry up and eventually harden. Considering it can get stuck to your pipes once it’s first tossed in there, once it hardens, you’ll eventually have a clog and require some assistance from a licensed plumber. Furthermore, a good rule of thumb to go by is avoiding throwing any stringy vegetables or pasta down the drain. It just isn’t equipped to handle those foods and will always result in future headaches!
How to Carve a Pumpkin in a Plumbing-Safe Manner?
If you’re not going to toss the guts in the sink, garbage disposal or toilet, that leaves only one spot remaining to dispose of them…the TRASH CAN! As we often say here on the blog, there are specific items that can go through your plumbing system. Anything not on this list is going to significantly increase the odds of plumbing troubles! Here’s a simple and straightforward approach you can use for carving.
- Set out newspapers on the kitchen floor.
- When you’re pulling all of the guts and seeds out, simply toss them in the trash.
- Carve the pumpkins on the newspapers.
- Wrap up the newspapers and throw them in the trash as well!
As simple as that and you’ll be in the clear of pumpkin pulp causing any nightmares!
Beware of Ghost Flushing
The next topic I’ll discuss is something that can happen any day of the year, but is nonetheless too spooky not to include in a Halloween-focused blog! Ghost flushing. Picture this: You’re sitting on the couch, watching some TV, when all of a sudden, the toilet randomly flushes. Especially if you’re home alone, this situation can seem a little creepy! Before you start to worry though, chances are this is something we like to call, “ghost flushing.” What might cause this incident to occur?
Typically, this means water has been leaking out of the tank for a little while. A toilet operates in a rather straight-forward fashion. Whenever the water level reaches a certain point in the tank, the float signals the fill valve to refill the tank. This action sounds like a normal flush. Luckily, all it takes is a little bit of food dye to test it. Just do this:
Put a couple drops of food dye in the tank of the toilet. Let it sit for roughly 30-45 minutes. Come back and look in the toilet bowl to see if you have any of the food dye there. If so, you’re looking at a leaking toilet.
How to Fix Ghost Flushing
If you’ve gone through the paragraphs above, you should now have the peace of mind that your house isn’t haunted and you merely just witnessed a ghost flushing. More often than not, a leaky toilet can be resolved with repairing a broken toilet flapper. These parts can be purchased for as little as $5 from your local hardware store. If the flapper is still intact and functioning, other potential culprits include the flush gasket, misaligned float ball or even the flapper chain.
Costumes Causing Trouble
Do any of your kid’s costumes this year involve face paint? While this certainly isn’t anything new to the Halloween holiday, it’s important to dispose of it correctly to avoid any plumbing nightmares! The number one rule on this point is to AVOID washing it off in the bathroom sinks. While plenty of people accidentally do this, the truth is the paint can solidify within the drains, thus creating the perfect recipe for a clogged drain. Either use a damp cloth or paper towel to clean the paint off and then toss that in the trash.
Noisy and Rattling Pipes
Going back to the point of ghost flushing, this next topic is another one that occurs any day of the year, not just Halloween. It’s never a welcome sight to hear your pipes rattling all around. Sometimes, it’s a simple fix, while other times you’re looking at a more serious issue! In either case, noisy pipes always fall under the category of items you’ll want an experienced plumber to get eyes on. For reference, these types of issues are typically caused by high water pressure or loose pipes.
Toilet and Garbage Disposal Are Not Equal to a Trash Can
When you start to treat your toilet and garbage disposal in a similar fashion as a trash can, you’re going to run into more than a few problems. Whenever you have friends or family over for a holiday gathering, it never hurts to keep an eye on the garbage disposal. Particularly when there’s a bevy of holiday treats and candy wrappers floating around.
Implement this logic and you’ll be golden when it comes to avoiding routine plumbing errors. No matter how much horsepower your disposal may possess, try to reserve garbage disposals for just small scraps of food. Yes, some of the higher-powered disposals will be more forgiving, but sticking to that same logic is never a bad idea! In terms of toilets, save these for simply human waste, toilet paper, and nothing else!
Call Your Friends at Stine-Nichols Plumbing!
Our team at Stine-Nichols Plumbing wishes you a safe and fun-filled Halloween! We know this year’s celebration might look and feel different, but hopefully you’re able to enjoy it with family and friends! In addition, hopefully this blog helped educate you on how plumbing can become intertwined with the Halloween festivities. Whether it be keeping an eye on what goes down your drains or not getting spooked over a random flush, make sure you remember the basic plumbing rules!
If you do find yourself with a plumbing issue on your hands, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (816) 348-3481. We know plumbing problems can be frustrating and will do our best to resolve any issues in a timely manner, while at an affordable price. As always, we’re more than happy to provide free quotes and work throughout the Kansas City area, including all of the surrounding cities.