Plumbing Upgrades For Food Gardeners
If you love to garden and preserve your own food, you may be putting a lot of stress on your kitchen plumbing. A few simple upgrades to your plumbing system can make the entire endeavor both more convenient and enjoyable, while also saving you money since you may be able to avoid some major plumbing issues with your home's drain system.
Install an outdoor sink
One thing that is tough on your sink is washing the soil off of all those fruits and veggies. The dirt collects in your drains, leading to an obstruction that only a plumber can clear. Further, that soil does little good being washed away instead of being returned to your garden bed. A simple outdoor sink can solve this problem. Have it placed near your garden shed or on your patio to create a little veggie-washing oasis. You can go simple with a free-standing sink that gets its water supply from having the hose screwed into it, or you can have your plumber hook it up to its own water supply line. Make sure the drain is routed through a filter to catch the soil. As an alternative, the drain could also empty out directly into the garden beds, creating a greywater system that means no soil or water loss.
Invest in a garbage disposal
When it comes to preserving all of that produce, canning, dehydrating, or freezing are the most commonly used methods. Often, this means lots of preparation such as peeling and coring. Even if you are careful, things can end up in the drain that shouldn't be there when you are working through many pounds of garden produce. Having a garbage disposal installed will be much more economical than having to have a plumber out constantly to remove blockages in your drain system.
Raise and upgrade that tap
One frustrating part of preserving produce, particularly if canning is a method of choice, is trying to fill the big canner with water and then keeping it full. It is cumbersome and increases the chances of injury to keep a pot of boiling water on hand to top off the canner along with using measuring cups or ladles to fill it when it won't slide under the tap. Instead, upgrade your taps. You can get a raised tap installed that ensures you can slide the tallest canner or stockpot underneath it for each filling. Another helpful option for the home gardener and preservationist is to have an on-demand hot water tap installed so you can easily top off the canner as you preserve.
For more help, contact a plumber like Laroc Refrigeration-Metal Division for any plumbing repairs or advice.