‘Brown Friday’ sees surge in plumbing calls amid holiday gatherings and kitchen mishaps

AUSTIN, Texas – Many shoppers celebrated Black Friday, but how many have heard of Brown Friday?

During the holidays, homes are flooded with guests from far and wide. Not only do all of these people place an additional burden on these otherwise single-family homes, but the enormous amount of food, if not disposed of properly in the kitchen, can also become an additional burden. That's why Abacus Plumbing, Air Conditioning, and Electrical says, aside from frozen pipes bursting in the winter, this weekend is one of the busiest weekends of the year: so busy it's earned that nickname.

After all the stress of cooking and preparing, Erin Thompson thinks it's nice to do a little Christmas shopping with the family.

“I probably cleaned the house for about a week before everyone came over,” Thompson said. “My daughter moved to California and wanted some ski boots… and my kid just turned 13, so we got a little birthday present.”

Not only is her daughter in town, but her household has more than doubled in size for the holidays.

“Well, I had my brothers and my brother's fiancé over and then an aunt…” Thompson said.

As a real estate agent, she is aware of the risks this could pose to the home.

“Many years ago I made the mistake of pouring carrot peels down my drain and learned that it was a big no-no,” Thompson said.

But not everyone is. That's why Vic Fredlund of Abacus Plumbing, a sponsor of CBS Austin, says it's such a busy time for his team.

“Just from the sheer standpoint of the amount of these types of restrictions, drain stops and things like that, this is certainly going to be one of our busiest weekends,” Fredlund said.

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So busy it actually deserves a nickname…

“Brown Friday is a bit naughty, as we call it, with drainage issues due to the large number of family members and visitors in the homes,” Fredlund said.

According to Fredlund, most problems start in the kitchen.

“Everyone wants garbage disposal to be just some kind of panacea,” Fredlund said. “Try not to throw fibrous, starchy foods like potato peelings, poultry peelings and celery in the trash.”

He says to also be careful about what you put down the drain.

“Things like pasta and bread. Do not throw these down the drain. They expand. They can stop a drain,” Fredlund said. “Coffee grounds: If you put coffee grounds down the drain, they can solidify and clog the drain.”

And that includes the toilet.

“Things like cotton balls, facial tissues, paper towels don’t belong in the toilet – that’s not what it’s designed for,” Fredlund said.

If you're not careful, an emergency repair can cost thousands of dollars.

“Be smart about what you put into the sewer,” Fredlund said. “Just keep a little common sense about what you want from your plumbing.”

Abacus Plumbing also recommends calling before the holidays if you notice any drainage or plumbing issues ahead of time.

Fredlund says a preventative call will always be much cheaper than an emergency call. Appointments can be booked by calling 512-943-7070 or visiting the website [abacusplumbing.com].