Brown Friday Still the Busiest Day of the Year for Plumbers

November 14, 2019

The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbing and drain companies like Roto-Rooter. Big meal preparation and kitchen cleanup frequently overload the sink and disposal, creating extra work for plumbers who stay busy unclogging kitchen sinks, garbage disposals, toilets and sewers. Retailers call it Black Friday, but Roto-Rooter calls it "Brown Friday" because of the volume of sewage and wastewater they deal with.

Roto-Rooter, one of the world's largest providers of plumbing repair and sewer and drain services, sees a 50 percent increase in call volume over an average Friday and a 21 percent uptick in business over any other four-day weekend period. All because of big holiday meals and house guests.

"Extra guests mean more flushes, showers, dishwashing and laundry, which increase the chance of a plumbing failure," said Paul Abrams, spokesman for Roto-Rooter.

Roto-Rooter will be fully staffed on Friday to deal with extra service calls. Virtually every Roto-Rooter service technician works on "Brown Friday" to save customers from long waits. This year, participating Roto-Rooter locations are collecting canned foods and pet food to benefit local charities and shelters. Roto-Rooter will give a 10 percent discount (up to $60 off) on plumbing and drain services in exchange for two canned goods.

To avoid plumbing and drain trouble over Thanksgiving weekend, everyone should follow these tips:

Never pour grease or cooking oil down drains. They solidify in pipes and choke drains.
Don't put potato peels, poultry skins, bones, rice or pasta down the garbage disposal. Disposals can handle scraps in small quantities but most food waste belongs in the trash can.
Make sure the disposal is running when you drop in food scraps.
Don't flush wet wipes down toilets. Most won't dissolve and can clog pipes.
Place a plunger in guest bathrooms to save guests the embarrassment of asking for one.
Spread out showers and laundry loads.

Those who wish to learn more about the Thanksgiving/Brown Friday plumbing phenomenon can watch videos on the Roto-Rooter website.