I heard that Black Friday — A.K.A the busiest shopping day of the year — is also the busiest day of the year for plumbers. Is that true and what’s the deal with that? Does it have to do with people overeating on Thanksgiving?

It’s true that Black Friday is the busiest day of the year for plumbers! Every year, nationwide, that’s a fact. That was true last year, this year, and it likely will be true next year. However, it has nothing whatsoever to do with overeating. We would never advocate NOT feasting with your family on Thanksgiving! That’s the best part of thanksgiving, after all!

Since Black Friday is the busiest day of the year, every year, plumbers have informally dubbed it “Brown Friday!” Hey, everybody needs to keep a sense of humor about these things.

Generally, the most common Brown Friday plumbing issues we respond to are:

  1. Clogged Garbage Disposals
  2. Blocked Sewer Lines

In that order.

HOW TO PREVENT A BROWN FRIDAY

Garbage disposal

The most common reason your garbage disposal will clog is that you attempted to grind up something you shouldn’t have. Here’s what you shouldn’t put down the disposal:

  • Bones
  • Vegetable peels (particularly potatoes)

WARNING: if you do try to fix your garbage disposal on your own, make 100% sure electricity to the disposal is OFF! Otherwise you could spend Black Friday waiting in the ER, which is even worse than waiting in line at Walmart!

Clogged sewer line

This one is a whole lot NASTIER!

Your sewer line drains the waste from your house into the sewer or septic tank. When that line becomes blocked, all the waste you’ve sent down, comes flooding back up!

Nasty, unsanitary and costly to fix.

Pouring grease down your garbage disposal is the number one reason why sewer lines clog right after Thanksgiving.

It’s true grease is a liquid when it’s hot, but when it cools, it solidifies.

This is a pipe clogged with grease. Yes, it was removed at the owner’s expense.

Contact us to examine and clear your sewer lines.