Plumbers call day after Thanksgiving ‘Brown Friday.’ Tips to save a repair bill this week
Most people know the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday, but plumbers know it as “Brown Friday.”
Brown Friday is actually the busiest workday of the year for plumbers, according to nationwide plumbing, sewer and drain services provider Roto-Rooter — which is probably why it has a name. And the cause of this phenomenon is preventable, in a way.
Here’s what causes brown Friday and how to avoid making your Black Friday a brown one.
What is the meaning of brown Friday?
“Incoming calls to Roto-Rooter for service will jump 50 percent above the average Friday,” Roto-Rooter’s website says. “The four-day Thanksgiving weekend averages a 21 percent increase over any other Thursday through Sunday period during the year.”
The main reason why so many Americans end up with sinks and toilets filling with brown water on the day after Thanksgiving is because of the added strain that the holiday puts on a home’s plumbing system.
Basically, Thanksgiving is often the straw that breaks the camel’s back. The fats and oils in many traditional Thanksgiving dishes often end up in kitchen sink drains, melting with warm water and re-solidifying into a waxy buildup inside pipes. The greasy turkey drippings and food scraps that get mindlessly thrown down the drain aren’t the only culprit, though.
Those hosting a holiday meal this week will have an unusually high amount of traffic moving through the bathrooms of their homes, putting extra strain on plumbing systems.
"Often, the case is that a house already has partially clogged drains that go unnoticed, until holiday guests arrive and overwhelm the system,” Roto-Rooter’s website says. “Even more problematic is that virtually every traditional Thanksgiving dish is a drain clogging culprit.”
How to prevent post-Thanksgiving sewage backup
If you don’t want to spend money on reviving your home’s plumbing system this holiday weekend, here are some tips from Roto-Rooter for preventing a brown Friday situation.
Don’t pour fats or cooking oils down drains. They solidify in pipes. Instead, wipe grease from pots with paper towels and throw them away.
Avoid putting stringy or starchy waste in the garbage disposal. Poultry skins, celery, fruit and potato peels, for example, can’t be properly broken down.
Make sure the disposal is running when you put food into it. Don’t wait until it’s full to turn it on.
For homes hosting weekend guests, it’s a good idea to wait ten minutes between showers so slow drains have time to clear.
Never flush cotton balls, swabs, hair or wet wipes down a toilet. They don’t dissolve and will cause clogs.
Try to address any plumbing problems before the holiday and before guests arrive. However, in the case of holiday plumbing emergencies, don’t hesitate to ask a plumber about extra holiday service fees and know your DIY limits. Minor plumbing problems can turn into plumbing catastrophes if not handled properly.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: To plumbers, Black Friday is 'Brown Friday.' Here's why
