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
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