As hordes of shoppers flock to stores this Black Friday to score the best deals, hordes of plumbers are being sent across the country to deal with the ugly consequences of this heartbreaking Thanksgiving holiday: clogged drains, pipes and toilets .
Welcome to Brown Friday (yes, it's named after the color of sewage), the busiest day of the year for plumbers.
“Since everyone in the city has guests and family members, the plumbing system is in greater demand,” he said Beau meansOperations Manager at Benjamin Franklin Plumbers in Wichita, KS. “It can lead to overloading.”
No wonder the day after Thanksgiving is twice as busy as any other day of the year — even more than Hanukkah and Christmas, Means says.
We'll break down where your two biggest plumbing problems may arise—and how to avoid the dreaded Brown Friday so that all you have to deal with on the Friday after Thanksgiving is leftovers.
In the kitchen
First, as you prepare and clean for the holiday, make sure you take these steps to keep drains and drains clog-free.
“Food preparation often leads to blockages in kitchen sinks and waste,” he says Paul AbramsSpokesperson for Roto-Rooter, a plumbing and wastewater company with more than 600 locations in the United States and Canada.
The biggest problem the company sees? Clogged kitchen sinks and trash full of turkey bones, vegetable peelings, and pretty much everything else that went into that delicious Thanksgiving dinner.
“Avoid throwing Thanksgiving clog culprits like corn on the cob, bones, potato peelings and onion skins down the drain,” he says Mike MushinskiPresident of bluefrog Plumbing + Drain based in Waco, TX. “Instead, try composting them or throwing them in the trash.”
Scrape leftover food from plates, pots and pans into the trash – instead of the kitchen trash.
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Not: Never pour fats, oils or fats down the drain as they could solidify and clog the drain.
“When heated grease hits a cold pipe, it hardens and sticks to the pipe,” Mushinski says. “It builds up and is incredibly difficult to remove.”
(And no, pouring fats down the drain with hot water afterward does not help dissolve them.) Place fatty oils and fats in containers and throw them in the trash.
Do: Scrape leftover food from plates, pots and pans into the trash – instead of the kitchen trash. On busy days, it is important to keep all trash out of the kitchen garbage bins to prevent them from becoming clogged. If you need to use the disposal for some things, be sure to run the faucet at the same time.
Also, wipe off excess grease from pots and pans with a paper towel before washing them by hand or putting them in the dishwasher.
In the bathroom
Problems in the kitchen are associated with clogged sewer pipes that drain all household wastewater. And if the sewer lines are clogged, the toilet won't flush. (Thanks for the last helping of Uncle Pete, who ate the last helping of baked beans.)
“When the house is full of guests, they flush the toilets more often,” says Abrams. “They also shower more often, and that can lead to extra loads of laundry.”
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Not: Never allow guests to flush feminine products, wipes, dental floss and cotton balls down the toilet. Anything that isn't trash can clog the toilet and cause it to overflow. If you feel uncomfortable telling your guests this, put it in writing with a small sign on the wall of each bathroom.
Do: Make sure there is a wastebasket in every bathroom. Also, allow guests to space showers about 10 to 15 minutes apart to allow the drains to do their job, advises Abrams.
“And place a shower strainer over your drain to catch hair,” adds Mushinski.
Finally, consider installing a toilet plunger in all guest bathrooms just in case.
“Nobody wants to feel embarrassed when they clog the toilet,” says Abrams.
What to do if your Friday turns brown?
If these tips fail and something goes wrong, people shouldn't hesitate to call a plumber. Many don't charge extra over the holidays – although it may take a little longer to get past their own Thanksgiving feasts to reach their destination.
“It can’t hurt to call and ask,” Abrams says.
If you encounter an urgent problem and are waiting for professionals to show up, Mushinski advises you to immediately stop all efforts to solve the problem to prevent further damage.
“And if water is actively splashing or leaking due to the problem, locate the home’s main water valve and turn off the water,” Mushinski adds.
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