How to avoid needing a plumber on 'Brown Friday'

Homes packed with full stomachs, clogged sinks make for busy Thanksgiving

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As shoppers prepare for the chaos of Black Friday, plumbers are getting ready for what they call Brown Friday.

Plumbers say Thanksgiving is a day for disaster in the kitchen and restrooms as homes are packed with guests whose stomachs are packed with mashed potatoes, turkey and pumpkin pie. 

It's the busiest day of the year for plumbers, like Jim Cue from Mr. Rooter Plumbing, who is on-call all day Thursday to fix the ugly aftermath of Thanksgiving.

“Everyone is all cooking dinner and everything else, and it's when the drain systems are the most used,” Cue explained.

In the 20 years that Cue has worked at Mr. Rooter Plumbing, the day after Thanksgiving is always the most hectic with clogged disposals, drains and toilets.

The No. 1 problem plumbers see is clogged sinks, he said. People push food into them when they shouldn't.

“You don't want to (throw) bones, foods that don’t break down, pasty foods, things like that (down the sink),” Cue said. “Mashed potatoes, it doesn’t break up, it clumps.”

Stringy waste like green beans, celery and onions can stop drains, and grease is also a big mistake, Cue said.

“Because although it goes down the drain as a liquid, as it cools down, it hardens and clogs everything up,” Cue said.

Before you throw any food down the disposal, turn the water on and make sure the disposal is running before you put food in. Don't wait until it's full to turn it on, Cue said.

Show your disposal some love by throwing a cup of ice into it, turning it on and letting it grind. This keeps it in good condition, Cue said.

The second most common problem is in the bathroom. 

“Baby wipes, feminine products, I’ve pulled cellphones, toys -- I actually did pull another plumbing license from another plumber,” Cue said. “Somebody stole his wallet and flushed his license and credit cards down the drain.”

Cue said he has seen it all and that house guests can be a nightmare for your toilet. 

“Typically, when it’s only four people in the house, the system only gets used maybe five to 10 times a day,” Cue said. “But when you have family over and there’s 20 people or whatever it is, it’s being used a lot more.”

That extra flushing can overwhelm the system or bring to light an existing problem you may be unaware of.

“Pretty much on Thanksgiving I’m out until 9-10 at night, if not later, because of problems that just keep coming in and -- people need toilets,” Cue said.

Mr. Rooter Plumbing is offering free home inspections from now until the end of the holiday season. If you'd like a visit from a technician, call 386-439-3333.