What to do with Pumpkin Guts, If You Haven’t Already Clogged Your Garbage Disposal

What I expected was for my family to make a huge mess when we decided to carve pumpkins, after all, are you really carving pumpkins if there’s no mess?

What I wasn’t expecting was to spend the better half of an afternoon fixing my disposal drain clog after the kids assumed the garbage disposal would be the ideal place to trash the pumpkin remains.

And indeed you are probably here because you are stuck in a similar situation. While pumpkin seeds seem like they would be easily flushed down the drain along with all your other food waste, the materials making up pumpkin innards are so slippery, slimy, and stringy that the pumpkin innards may end up clinging onto your blades, hardening, and then severely damaging your disposal. As a result, you would expect both clogged pipes and damaged disposal blades as the seed strings have a tendency to stick to pipe blades. In other words, you’ll be looking at expensing repairs you don’t really want to expense.

So, if you need to figure out how to unclog a garbage disposal, or if you’re wondering what to do with pumpkin guts, don’t worry. We’ll go over all of it right here!

How To Unclog A Garbage Disposal: Mechanical Versus Chemical

MECHANICAL

Your best bets to unclog your garbage disposal will be using the trusty ole’ plunger. Yes, those wooden handle red cup plungers should help resolve the issue. In fact, those models are made specifically for all your sink and tub plumbing needs. The ones you should use for your toilets are more ‘ball’ shaped and are specifically called a toilet plunger. Understandably, you may already have a cup plunger designated to your toilet in which case we highly advise against using for both toilets and sinks for sanitary reasons. Invest in a separate cup plunger specifically for sink and tub purposes.

If your garbage disposal is still clogged, consider a drain/plumbing snake. You can find some at the Home Depot for a little over $5. Dig deep and try to unclog from there.

Finally, you may have an issue with the loop under your sink. You get right to the issue if that’s the case. Place a bucket underneath the sink and then disconnect the slip-nut fittings on the drain trap. You can check for clogs and mend the issue as you see fit.

CHEMICAL

You have probably seen an “as advertised on tv” bottle of chemical solution that can unclog all drains. Indeed, you might consider using drain cleaners to unclog their garbage disposals; however, using such solutions may pose a risk to the overall condition of your pipes. As a brief overview, there are three main types of chemical drain cleaners: oxidizing, caustic, and acid. While oxidizing and caustic are easier to find (and acid can only be purchased and used by licensed plumbers), the level of sulfuric and hydrochloric acid may pose a threat to your pipes (and health).

In other words, they work on your pipes, but you are still dealing with dangerous chemicals. The toxicity levels of your drain cleaners can damage the pipes in the process of removing other gunk. And depending on the viscosity (or how sticky) the liquid is, drain cleaners can pose threats to you and your family. Not simply the liquid remains but also the fumes they release.

If you do decide to proceed with the chemical option, caution is advised. Research the drain cleaner you want to use and go for the more well-known brands as off-brand varieties have higher toxicity levels. It is just as important to look into cleaning and safety measures for chemical solutions as it is the effectiveness of the solution in total.

CHEMICAL ALTERNATIVES

Consider dish soap & hot water. Pour some dish soap down first and then pour boiling hot water to get at the clogs. Simple yet effective. Your solutions are not always whatever’s most expensive. Additionally, you could add some lemon or lime juice to the hot water to create a refreshing scent afterward.

Maybe try baking soda & vinegar. Pour dry baking soda down the drain and then vinegar. You will notice that there will be some bubbles boiling out. You will want to cover it with a plug as to allow the solution an opportunity to get at the clog. After about 25-30 minutes, pour boiling hot water down the drain.

Consider these alternatives methods to dealing with (or using your pumpkin leftovers)

COOK: Bake, fry, whatever! Really the options are up to you. Considering that a pumpkin is technically considered a fruit (weird, I know), the ways you can use your pumpkin to make some fantastic dishes is endless.

TRASH/COMPOSE: Save your disposal the hassle and simply dispose of the pumpkin in a way that won’t strain your disposal. Especially because (again) pumpkin is a fruit, it is compostable. If you already have a pre-existing compost bin, add to it! If you don’t, maybe this is a sign it’s time to start one?

Finally,

If there continue to be issues with your disposal unit after trying the above remedies, we recommend you have a professional plumber come and check out the unit.

HOW TO SAVE WATER AT HOME: START WITH YOUR PIPES

Why Pipes?

“Take shorter showers.”

“Turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth.”

“Manually water your garden.”

I have been offered pretty much the same few lines of advice as to how I can conserve water. And while they are all true, these few simple tips and tricks are only the tip of the iceberg.

Home plumbing maintenance is key to ensuring that you optimize the water that you are paying for. The simple reason is that when pipes are faulty, the internal damage may be difficult to detect and you oftentimes won’t notice the waste of water that goes about.

And while they may be small, leaky faucets and pipes can add up. A slow drip can waste 5 gallons per day. That adds up to almost 2,082 gallons per year for that one pipe alone. Why pay for over 2,000 gallons of wasted water when you don’t have to?

The process for proper pipe maintenance is relatively simple and straightforward. And when you get the hang of it, you’ll be a pro in no time.

Signs That Your Pipes May Be Leaky

The easiest first step is to check the water supply usage when the system is off. Stop the water tap flowing inside your house and check the water meter. Given that your tap is off, you should expect to see a drastic decrease (to zero) in your water meter. If that’s not the case, you have some work to do.

So what’s next? You should check your house if your system reports a leak. Another good test to employ is to turn off the water in your house and walk around. If you hear noises that sound like water dripping, you may need to look into DIY faucet repairs or call a plumber.

Home Water Conservation Tips

While not necessarily related to pipes, the best thing you can do to save water at home is to ensure that the appliances and water-reliant products in your home are optimizing the use of water. And this basically boils down to ensuring you have up-to-date products. And not only that, you should consider proper maintenance of the products as suggested when purchased. While we personally recommend investing in high-efficiency products, you should work in whatever budget constraints you have and purchase the product right for your home.

Toilets. Dual-flush toilets are highly recommended as their process to flush away liquids and solids is different from that of regular toilets. The design of the dual-flush toilet removes some processes from the traditional toilet that would otherwise waste water. Compared to the traditional toilet, you can expect to save 68% on water waste. Alternatively, you could invest in a low flush toilet as an alternative that uses 1.28 gallons per flush against the traditional 3+ gallons per flush.

Water Showers. Modifying the shower head attached to your shower can drastically reduce the water you use. Low-flow shower heads are federally regulated to require the use of 2.5 gallons of water or less per minute. There are many, however, that operate at 1.5 gallons of water per minute or less. They are able to still provide the same (if not better experience) by adding pressure to the water. If interested, you’ll be able to find plenty on Amazon; however, you can find some at Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more. Some good options are cheap and some great options are even cheaper. Do your research to figure out which is best for you.

Dishwashers. There is some debate between whether you should hand wash or dish wash. At least there was back when dishwashers weren’t being efficient with their water use. Nowadays, energy efficient dishwashers optimize water use so that you’re only using 3 gallons of water per load. Compared to the average use of 3-5 gallons of water per minute through hand-washing, you’ll notice a huge difference. Your wallet will too. Up-to-date dishwashing machines are ideal for water conservation at home.

Washer System. Just like all the times before it, updating to energy-efficient washer machines is one of the best ways to conserve water at home. The washer can save on both electricity and water. If looking for water-saving washer machines, consider front-loaders or high-efficiency (HE) top-loaders. They can be costly so consider what you can do within your budget before pursuing the ideal option for you.

6 PLUMBING TOOLS YOU NEED IN YOUR PERSONAL TOOLBOX

Even the newest toilets and sinks will require a bit of maintenance every now and then; however, you don’t need to call a plumber every time you may need a small fix. If you’re armed with the 6 plumbing tools below, odds are that you’ll be able to fix a good amount of the smaller issues that come your way. Places like the Home Depot and Lowe’s should carry the below items, with CVS, Walmart Supercenter, and Target carrying smaller things like pliers and plumber’s tape.

1. Cup Plunger

We can’t really create a plumbing tool list if we don’t include this iconic item. And for good reason! This is the type of plunger you see used all the time in media and most likely the type placed in the home. And while it’s the plunger you see most people using for toilets (and while it may certainly do the job for toilets), it’s actually meant more for bathroom sinks, kitchen sinks, and tubs. The shape of the ‘cup’ is meant to attach to flat surfaces like those found in the aforementioned sinks and tubs. With that said… if you already have a cup plunger used on your toilet, don’t start using it on your sinks and tubs. For hygienic purposes, separate the toilet plunger and the sink and tub plunger.

2. Toilet Plunger

As its name suggests, this is the ideal plunger for your toilet. Again, we will repeat ourselves… don’t use the same plunger for both toilet and sink as it is highly unhygienic and poses a high risk of cross-contamination.

3. Adjustable Wrench

Next up on the list of essential plumbing tools is the adjustable wrench. Because your plumbing pipes may all be of varying sizes, an adjustable wrench will provide you with the ability to make quick and easy adjustments as deemed necessary. You may have to put in a bit more work to really make the adjustable wrench fit to what you’re trying to fix, but due to its flexibility, it’s simply a must-have.

4. Pipe Wrench

A pipe wrench consists of two jaws, the bottom of which is fixed in position, and the upper is movable. Similarly to the adjustable wrench, the pipe wrench offers you the flexibility of adjusting the height between the jaws. So… a pipe wrench is just an adjustable wrench, right? I mean, sure (not really). If you consider only the technical differences then they sound pretty similar.

But while the adjustable wrench is a wrench that can be used in plumbing and outside of it, the pipe wrench was made for operating on soft pipes, such as copper. Let’s just get down to the basic rundown of the two. Adjustable wrenches are often used to tighten or loosen nuts and bolts. Pipe wrenches, on the other hand, are made specifically to turn metal pipes and fittings. Of the two, the pipe wrench is sturdier and stronger which, depending on how much pressure needs to be exerted on a specific action, should be used over that of the adjustable wrench. Both serve different, yet important purposes and should be included in the essential list of plumbing tools.

5. Pliers

Smaller than all the other items on the plumbing tool list so far, pliers are used for a varying degree of actions: grabbing, twisting, pulling, or simply holding things in place. Depending on the type of action you want to conduct with your pliers (whether it be cutting or adjusting things), you may want to consider slip joint pliers, flat nose pliers, and/or side cutting pliers among many other plier types.

• Slip Joint Plier: Used to adjust nuts or bolts, these are ideal for the smaller nuts and bolts. They deal with the more ‘delicate’ parts of your plumbing needs that your wrenches would most likely destroy.
• Flat Nose Plier: One of the more common pliers around, flat nose pliers are seen as a multipurpose tool for holding and bending wires.
• Side Cutting Pliers: Similar to Flat Nose, the side cutting can be used to cut or grip wires. They are used for electronic work.

6. Plumber’s Tape

Plumber’s tape offers a watertight seal to aid in all jobs pipes-related. When you proceed to purchase a roll, you’ll notice that they come in 3 standard colors: white, yellow, and green.

• White (basic) is the standard color for common piping jobs
• Yellow (double lined) is ideal for gas piping
• Green (triple lined) tape deals with oxygen piping

As they pair with your other plumbing tools, the white tape should be sufficient for all plumbing issues; however, if you notice that your pipes may need a bit more support, going with yellow or green might be ideal for you.

But Remember,

Not all problems can be easily fixed or should be handled by homeowners. Should you feel the need for support, you should contact a professional.