I

n case you’ve never heard of it, 
“Brown Friday” is as famous 
as Black Friday — at least in 
plumbing circles. The name refers to 
the brown sludge that builds up in 
kitchen sinks following major holi-
days like Thanksgiving. Large gather-
ings mean more cooking and cleanup, 
which causes grease and food waste 
to accumulate inside your pipes and 
clog your garbage disposal, leading to 
slow drainage or blockages that put a 
damper on your festivities — making 
Brown Friday the busiest day of the 
year for professional plumbers.
To help you prevent or cope with 
common plumbing problems over 
the holidays, the experts from Mr. 
Rooter Plumbing offer tips and tricks 
for keeping your plumbing in good 
working order.

CAREFUL CLEANUP 
Whether you’re prepping vegetables 
for the big meal or cleaning plates 
afterward, be mindful of what you’re 
putting down the drain. Even the 
best-working garbage disposal is no 
match for the food and grease a typi-
cal Thanksgiving dinner can dish up.
Try these tactics:
• Peel and scrape veggies into the 

trash instead of your sink to keep 
your pipes and disposal from getting 
clogged.
• Let grease cool, then wipe out 
with paper towels and discard instead 
of pouring it down the drain. Fats 
congeal when cold, combining with 
debris to create clogs.
• Scrape dirty plates into the trash 
to keep bones, food scraps and fatty 
deposits out of your plumbing.

COPING WITH A CLOG 
If you end up with a clogged sink, 
take these steps first:
• Use hot water, then soap and a 
plunger: Sometimes clogs soften with 
hot water enough to be dislodged 
with a little dish soap and a plunger.
• Reset your garbage disposal: A 
button or switch on the side or bot-
tom of your disposal can reset it.
• Baking soda and vinegar: Pour 
one cup of baking soda down the 
drain, followed by one cup of distilled 
vinegar, and cover the drain with a 
stopper. Cover for 30 minutes, and 
then run hot water to see if the clog 
clears.
If these efforts don’t work, the issue 
may best be handled by a professional 
plumber, like those at Mr. Rooter 

Plumbing, to avoid damage to your 
pipes.

BE PROACTIVE WHEN HOSTING 
AN EVENT 
To keep your system from overload-
ing, ask houseguests to give your 
shower or bath a rest for 10 minutes 
or so between uses.
It’s also best to remind guests that 
some things — like wipes (even those 
that may claim to be “flushable”) — 
shouldn’t be flushed down a toilet, as 
they can create clogs.
If your home’s plumbing is on a 
septic system, ensure everyone is fully 
informed about what’s acceptable 
to put into the system and what is 
not. A quick reminder: Wipes, just 
like with regular toilets, don’t go in 
a septic system; neither do cigarette 
butts, diapers, feminine hygiene 
products, food scraps, pet feces or 
litter, latex products, paper towels 
and tissues.

BE PREPARED FOR FREEZING 
TEMPERATURES 
Another issue that crops up this 
time of year is when temperatures 
plummet, leaving pipes vulnerable 
to freezing. Frozen pipes can create 

inconvenient and costly problems, 
especially when they burst and cause 
water damage in your home.
To protect your pipes:
• Insulate your home: Insulating 
your entire home means better 
insulation for your pipes. While not 
as effective as pipe-specific insulation 
methods, a warmer home can keep 
pipes freeze-free most months.
• Run the heat: Hopefully you’re 
already running the heat when 
temperatures drop below freezing, 
but if you aren’t, you should — even 
while you’re away from home.
• Insulate your pipes: Pipe 
insulation prevents frozen pipes and 
improves the efficiency of your hot 
water heater, saving energy. Good 
insulation helps regulate your pipes’ 
temperature in colder months, 
making it virtually impossible for 
them to freeze.
• Consider air sealing: This form 
of insulation wraps around pipes, is 
easier to install than other forms of 
insulation, and helps stabilize pipe 
temperatures.
• Leave taps dripping: If you leave 
taps dripping when temperatures are 
below freezing, the water won’t stay 
still, preventing the likelihood of a 
freeze.
• Increase airflow to pipes: When 
temperatures plummet, consider 
opening cabinets and cupboards 
to increase airflow to pipes. This 
allows warm air to help keep pipes 
from freezing, and it also works for 
thawing frozen pipes.
If you live in an area that 
commonly experiences extremely 
cold temperatures over the winter, 
you may want to consider pipe 
insulation as your first defense 
against frozen pipes.
Whether you have a plumbing 
problem right after the holidays or 
want to ensure your pipes are ready 
ahead of time, the experienced 
plumbers at Mr. Rooter Plumbing can 
help! For drain cleaning services, pipe 
insulation or repairs, their courteous 
plumbers have the skills and tools to 
tackle whatever problem you have — 
or to ensure your plumbing is in top 
shape before your guests arrive. 

How to Avoid 

Holiday 
Plumbing 
Disasters

(BPT) 

WELCOME HOME

36 | NOVEMBER 28 • 2024 
J
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