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Avoid Plumbing Clogged by Pumpkin Pulp and Scraps

By Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES

Real Estate Agent with Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch!

October 28, 2013 11:16 PM

Avoid Plumbing Clogged by Pumpkin Pulp and Scraps

Pumpkin Decoration Southwest

It's Halloween and Thanksgiving is just waiting around the corner. Pumpkins are everywhere and it's the season for pumpkin carving and pumpkin pie making!

What do to with unwanted leftovers? Garbage disposals attached to kitchen sinks are a popular feature but ask a plumber and you will generally be cautioned about the use of disposals because if not properly done, it can cause clogging of the pipes.

This is especially true for pumpkin pulp and scraps because it has a tendency to harden in the pipes instead of breaking down. So remember to dispose of any pumpkin scraps in the trashcan to make sure you don't have to wait for the plumber instead of the trick o' treaters!

Avoid Plumbing Clogged by Pumpkin Pulp and Scraps

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Joe Petrowsky

Mortgage Consultant, Right Trac Financial Group, Inc. NMLS # 2709 - Manchester, CT

Your Mortgage Consultant for Life

That's good advice. I should follow this advice more that I do, as I put to many things down the disposal.

Oct 28, 2013 11:23 PM

Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!

Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT

St. George Utah Area Residential Sales Agent

Great advice Silvia! Potato peels do the same thing...I know from...uh...past experience! Happy Halloween to you!

Oct 28, 2013 11:30 PM

Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES

Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL

Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Joe, I never liked using the garbage disposal and luckily haven't had any incidents.

Wanda, thanks for mentioning it, I think these disposals are not really meant for everything to go down.

Oct 28, 2013 11:54 PM

Joan Cox

House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO

Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Silvia, great reminder these large items should not go into the garbage disposal. I remember putting stuffing from Thanksgiving that clogged the plumbing.

Oct 29, 2013 12:05 AM

Ron and Alexandra Seigel

Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA

Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Sylvia,

That is great advice, certain vegetables make a mess in the disposal. Thanks for the timely and seasonal reminder. A

Oct 29, 2013 01:57 AM

Fred Hernden, CMI

Superior Home Inspections - Greater Albuquerque Area - Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque area Master Inspector

And if you have a septic tank... that is a no no! :-))

Oct 29, 2013 02:05 AM

George Souto

George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT

Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Silvia cleaning out a clogged pipe is a pain, and costly if you are not able to un-clog it yourself. People need to be careful what they feed the garbage disposal.

Oct 29, 2013 05:01 AM

Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES

Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL

Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Joan, i rarely use mine, seems the only thing I do with mine is clean it.

Alexandra, thanks, I didn't know that certain foods are more prone to clog up the disposal than others.

Fred, definitely! We lived in a house hat had a septic tank and when we remodeled the kitchen we didn't reinstall the disposal.

George, so true, what good is a convenience when it becomes an expense.

Oct 29, 2013 08:22 AM

Laurie Logan

Keller Williams Realty, Inc., Broker Associate - Madison, WI

South Central WI Real Estate

We cover the dining room table with newspaper, and carve our pumpkins there - when we are done, we roll it up and into the trash it all goes! Happy Halloween!

Oct 29, 2013 09:34 AM

Kathy Streib

Cypress, TX

Home Stager/Redesign

Silvia- this a such a good reminder about disposals and pumpkin scraps. Also did not know that about potato peels... thanks Wanda.

Oct 29, 2013 10:15 AM

Andrea Bedard

Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860 - Silver Spring, MD

Fluent in Real Estate & German, M.A. ABR ASP CIPS

I wish I had known this a couple of days ago Silvia! Thankfully it was only a smallish Sunspot squash.. I'll be sure to discard into the trash can only from now on. Thanks for the tip!

Oct 29, 2013 11:49 AM

Conrad Allen

Re/Max Professional Associates - Webster, MA

Webster, Ma, Realtor

Hi Silvia. Great common sense points. Thanks.

Oct 29, 2013 09:40 PM

Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES

Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL

Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Laurie, that's the best way to do it! Thanks!

Kathy, glad you found out something new!

Andrea, good for you nothing happened that time!

Conrad, thanks you!

Oct 29, 2013 09:48 PM

Amy Gutschow

RE/MAX - Sheboygan, WI

Professional Real Estate

Yes! This is great advice to follow if you didn't know, we always through the pumpkin scraps in the trash. Also always make sure you throw the trash out after ;) pumpkin scraps can get a little smelly!

Oct 30, 2013 09:03 AM

Andrew Payne Realtor® Richmond VA Homes For Sale~804-938-5257~

Piedmont Real Estate - Richmond, VA

Richmond, VA, Real Estate, SRES®, NAR Green

Thanks for this reminder about pumpkin pulp and scraps. I like using my composter and find that pulp and smaller pieces of pumpking compost very well. Also, birds likely will enjoy the pumpkin seeds!

Oct 30, 2013 12:43 PM

Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties

Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN

The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

Silvia, I didn't know that and am glad to know to avoid that costly mistake. I was thinking maybe the strings would wrap around the blades and be bad for the disposers.

Oct 30, 2013 12:53 PM

Beth Atalay

Cam Realty and Property Management - Clermont, FL

Cam Realty of Clermont FL

Hi Silvia, I prefer not to use the disposal much, I just don't want to take any chances. This is a great reminder though!

Oct 30, 2013 10:19 PM

Joni Bailey

101 Main St. Realty - Huntsville, TX

Your Huntsville / Lake Livingston Area REALTOR®

YIKES! I hadn't thought of that! Thanks for sharing this tip! (Love your photo!!)

Oct 30, 2013 10:28 PM