Black Friday is busiest day of the year for plumbers
While people spend the day shopping, plumbing pros are hard at work
Holiday meal preparation and after-dinner cleanup create “the perfect storm” for plumbers who stay extra busy unclogging kitchen sinks, disposals, toilets and sewers, according to Roto-Rooter's Paul Abrams. Photo credit: Jen Anesi-Brombach
The day after Thanksgiving is widely known as Black Friday, but it also has an alternative name in the world of plumbing: Brown Friday.
Gross, right?
Actually, it's not what you think.
"The No. 1 reason for calls is kitchen sink drains and garbage disposals," Paul Abrams, Roto-Rooter's director of public relations, told ABC. He added that Roto-Rooter's call volume goes up about 50% the day after Thanksgiving.
“This time of year, homes have extra occupants in the form of holiday guests who are taking extra showers and flushing more toilets. That alone puts additional stress on many residential drain systems,” Abrams said in a press release. “And as soon as the kitchen gets busy and the sink and disposal start receiving peelings, poultry skin and oily turkey drippings, things start clogging up fast.”
Roto-Rooter offered the following suggestions to help avoid needing a plumber over the holidays:
• Don’t pour fats or cooking oils down the drain. They will solidify in pipes and choke drains.
• Never put stringy, fibrous or starchy waste down the garbage disposal. Disposals can handle most scraps in small quantities, but it’s best to toss food waste into the trash can or compost pile.
• Make sure the disposal is running when you feed it food scraps.
• Don’t flush cotton balls or wet wipes down toilets. They don’t dissolve and will cause clogs. Place a waste basket in the bathroom so guests won’t flush these items.
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