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Holiday Cooking Grease: A Top Cause of January Drain Calls

  Holiday Cooking Grease: A Top Cause of January Drain Calls January drain service calls often spike after the holiday season, and one culprit rises above the rest: cooking grease. While it may look harmless as it goes down the sink, grease can cool, solidify, and build up inside pipes, narrowing the flow until clogs form.   During holiday cooking, families use more oils, gravies, frying fats, and pan drippings than usual—then wash the residue away with hot water or dish soap. That combination can move grease through plumbing briefly, but it typically coats interior pipe surfaces and creates a sticky base for other debris to collect.   Why grease leads to backups   Unlike water, grease doesn’t reliably stay “in suspension.” As it travels downstream, it cools and adheres to pipe walls. Over time, it traps food particles and other household waste, producing thick blockages that can restrict drainage, trigger slow sinks, and in worst cases cau ... Read more »
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Do You Need a Battery Backup for Your Sump Pump?

 Do You Need a Battery Backup for Your Sump Pump?

Do You Need a Battery Backup for Your Sump Pump?


Storm season often brings heavy rain, saturated soil, and—most critically—power outages. For homeowners who rely on a sump pump to keep groundwater out of a basement, losing electricity can turn a manageable water problem into a fast-moving flood.

 

A battery backup sump pump system is designed to run the pump when power goes out. The question is whether that backup is necessary for your specific home, or whether other safeguards would be enough.

 

When a battery backup makes the most sense

 

If your area commonly experiences outages during storms, a battery backup can be a practical way to reduce risk. It’s especially valuable if your basement is prone to flooding, you’ve had past water intrusion, or your sump pump is the only line of defense against groundwater.

 

It may also be worth prioritizing when your system is older, the discharge capacity is limited, or the insta ... Read more »

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