Michigan Plumbers Prepare For “Brown Friday” One of The Busiest Days Of The Year

Thanksgiving is one of, if not the, best holidays of the year!

We get together with our friends and family, eat a bunch of great food, and then sit in front of the TV and watch the Detroit Lions let us down once again on national TV.

If you're really lucky you might have a lively family discussion about your favorite politician, Covid-19, or a very awkward conversation about when you are going to get married or have kids.

All of that might seem like a lot to handle but it's nothing compared to what plumbers in Michigan and across the country have to take on the next day aka "Brown Friday" 

According to plumbing company Roto-Rooter the day after Thanksgiving, aka
"Brown Friday", is the busiest day of the year for plumbing, sewer, and drain services.

Why is the day after Thanksgiving such a busy day for plumbers?

When cooks get busy in the kitchen preparing a feast, lots of food and scraps end up down the kitchen drain and into the garbage disposal. Turkey drippings. It’s just grease. Hot drippings may be in liquid form when poured down the drain but the liquid will solidify like candle wax once it cools down inside the pipes. Rice and pasta swell when introduced to water. Worse, they’ll break down into a starchy gel and clog the pipes. Toss in some poultry skin, dressing, vegetable peels, and a bone or two and you’ve got a sewer or drain clog of monumental proportions.

Overnight Guests / Friends and Family

Many Thanksgiving hosts have overnight guests who take showers or baths, flush toilets, and might even do a laundry load or two. This extra strain on the plumbing system is like the proverbial last straw that breaks a camel’s back. Chances are that the house already had a partially clogged drain or two but the problem was not altogether noticeable yet. However, once a few more guests show up, the drains become overwhelmed. Worse, the actual problem might be past the sink drain down in the main sewer line under your front yard. Tree roots grow into the pipe at the joint and catch all of the grease, toilet paper, food scraps, and wet wipes that go down your drains. Eventually, every drain in the house backs up with raw sewage.

To avoid plumbing and drain issues over The Thanksgiving weekend, follow these tips: