Thanksgiving is a big holiday here in the U.S. But while most of us are enjoying family, good food, and football, America’s plumbers and apartment maintenance crews are on high alert. Thanksgiving and the day after are two of the busiest days of the year.
If you already know that then have you ever wondered why? The answer lies in how people use kitchens and baths. Clogged sinks and broken garbage disposals are the two biggest problems on Thanksgiving and what the plumbing industry calls ‘Brown Friday’.
Clogged toilets and showers only add to the long list of plumbing repairs that a company like Utah’s Superior Water & Air need to deal with on these two particular days.
Plumbing Overload in the Kitchen
Let us begin with plumbing problems in the kitchen. Remember, Thanksgiving is known for large gatherings with lots of food. Not only that, food choices tend to include turkey – with all his grease, fat, and bones – along with other greasy and starchy foods.
Homeowners run into trouble when they are not careful about what goes down the kitchen drain. For instance, attempting to dispose of what is left after the turkey is carved by running it through the garbage disposal is a huge mistake. Fat, grease, skin, and bones can both clog pipes and damage garbage disposals.
Lots of Cooks in the Kitchen
Sending turkey scraps down the drain is just one potential problem. Another is having so many cooks in the kitchen. Thanksgiving is known for that. For every cook, you have the potential of putting things down the drain that really should go in the trash.
A younger and inexperienced family member might think nothing of getting rid of potato peels with the garbage disposal. Bad move. Meanwhile, someone else might throw eggshells, coffee grounds, and other nasties down the drain. It all adds up to trouble.
According to Superior W&A, clogged kitchen sinks are the number one culprit behind Thanksgiving and Brown Friday emergency service calls.
Overload in the Bathrooms
Large Thanksgiving Day celebrations don’t just overload the kitchen. They also overload the bathrooms. Thanksgiving and Brown Friday toilet clogs are often the result of so many people using the toilet in such a short amount of time. Toilet clogs are more likely when guests use excessive amounts of toilet paper.
Note that kids are especially prone to using too much toilet paper. So a large holiday gathering with lots of kids around could spell disaster in the bathroom.
Guests staying overnight can complicate matters with the shower. Again, overwhelming the shower with too many guests in too short a time can put stress on plumbing and the water heater. A water heater already on its last legs could be pushed over the hedge by heavy holiday usage.
Good Habits Minimize Problems
Even though Thanksgiving and Brown Friday are two of the busiest days of the year for plumbers and apartment maintenance crews, they do not have to be. Good habits minimize plumbing problems.
At the top of the list of good habits is not putting any kind of grease, oils, or fats down the kitchen drain. All that stuff should go in the trash. Likewise, there is no shame in scraping food scraps into the trash. They don’t have to be put down the drain just because you have a garbage disposal.
If you do have problems with your plumbing on Thanksgiving or Brown Friday, you can take solace in the fact that there is likely a plumber or maintenance crew member capable of handling it for you, albeit begrudgingly.
